The President's Men & Women
DU30 Administration
VITALIANO AGUIRRE II
Justice Secretary
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Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre II has vast experience in law practice and is an esteemed member of the Bar and respected in the legal profession.
Aguirre is a managing partner at the Aguirre & Aguirre Law Firm. He is a professor at the Arellano Law Foundation but is currently on leave. He is the president of Foster Realty Corp and director of Metro Cebu Public Savings Bank.
Aguirre is Duterte's classmate at the San Beda College of Law. They are also brothers in the Lex Talionis fraternity.
He was the lead legal counsel in the Hubert Webb case. He was also a private prosecutor with the prosecution team in the impeachment trial of the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012. Aguirre as also the deputy counsel of the Feliciano Commission’s fact-finding investigation of the 2003 Oakwood mutiny, he was the same lawyer who conducted a direct examination of now Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
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DELFIN LORENZANA
National Defense Secretary
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Retired Major General Delfin Lorenzana was the former Special Presidential Representative for Veterans Affairs/Head of the Office Veterans Affairs of the Philippine Embassay in Washington DC.
While still in active service, he served as the Defense Armed Forces Attache in the United States; and was instrumental in defending the Malacanang Palace when supporters of former President Joseph Estrada attempted to storm the place.
He is amember of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1973.
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MARK VILLAR
Public Works and Highways Secretary
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Mark Villar took up economics, philosophy, and political science at the University of Pennsylvania and finished his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program at the The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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He was first elected into the Philippine House of Representatives in 2010, then won a second term in 2013. His third term was supposed to be from 2016 to 2019.
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Before entering politics, Villar was president of Crown Asia, one of the companies under his family's conglomerate, Vista Land, the Philippines’ biggest homebuilder, and shopping-center developer Starmalls Incorporated.
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FORTUNATO DELA PENA
Science & Technology Secretary
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Fortunato Dela Pena was a former director of DOST's Technology Application and Promotion Institute and later Undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology.
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Dela Peña stint in DOST started when he became head of planning service division of the National Science and Technology Authority (DOST's forerunner) in the early 1980's. Later he joined UP Diliman as assistant to the executive director of the National Engineering Centre and then became the chairman of the College of Engineering's Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
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Dela Peña colorful career brought him to top positions in various organizations such as former president of UP Alumni Engineers, Philippine Institute for Chemical Engineers, and Association of Management and Industrial Engineers of the Philippines; trustee of UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation, Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation, and Nippon Electric Company Foundation; and former director of Entrepinoy Volunteers Foundation, and Philippine Technology Development Ventures.
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Dela Peña earned his BS in Chemical Engineering and MS Industrial Engineering from University of the Philippines in Diliman. He went on to obtain special training certificates of doctoral studies in business administration also from UP Diliman, graduate studies in operations research from Polytechnic Institute of New York and diploma in industrial quality control from Boucentrum International Education in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
JUDY TAGUIWALO
Social Welfare and Development Secretary
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Judy Taguiwalo was University of the Philippines professor and activist. She was one of the victims of martial law and was tortured and imprisoned during the Marcos regime.
She recently retired from the Department of Women and Development Studies of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Social Work and Community Development, which she had been the chairperson of aside from having been the director of the University Center for Women’s Studies. She is also on her third term as Chairperson of IBON’s Board of Trustees.
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Dr. Taguiwalo finished her Ph.D in Philippine Studies at UP Diliman, earned her master’s degree in Public Administration (Development Stream) from Carleton University of Ontario, Canada, and got her Bachelor of Science in Social Work (cum laude) from UP Diliman. She specializes in Women and History, Women, Work and Unionism and Organizing and Organizational Development.
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ARTHUR TUGADE
Transportation & Communication Secretary
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Mr. Arthur P. Tugade was the Chief Executive Officer and the President at Clark Development Corp. since December 2012 and resigned to campaign for Mayor Duterte.
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Mr. Tugade is the Founder of Perry's Holding Corporation, the management arm for Perry's Group of Companies which includes Transglobal Equipment Leasing, Perry's Technology, ATP Travel, Perryome, Perry's Farm, Transglobal Trucking, and Transglobal Consolidators, Inc.
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He served as the President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Resource Officer of Transnational Diversified Group Inc. and Transnational Diversified Corp. He served as the President of TDG Asia Corp., YAS Brokerage Inc., Phil. Organic Plantation Corporation, Kamraz Agriculture Inc., Pizzavest Transnational Corp., Transnational Food Services Corporation, Transnational Aero Corp., and Emery Transnational Air Cargo Corporation. He served as a Director of Easycall Communications Philippines Inc. since October 2001.
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He was also a Partner of Bengzon, Verano, Tugade and Escolin Law Office.
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Mr. Tugade is a cum laude graduate of San Beda College with further studies in National University of Singapore (Stanford-NUS Executive Program).
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HERMOGENES ESPERON
National Security Adviser
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Retired General Hermogenes Cendaña Esperon, Jr. served as the Chief of Staff, the highest position in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). After retiring from military service, he was appointed a member of the Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, initially as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
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Esperon first joined the staff at Malacañang Palace in 1986. He was again called to duty at the Palace as a Lt. Colonel in 1996. Esperon has been involved in a number of battles against Muslim rebels in Mindanao, commanding the 602nd Infantry Brigade based in Carmen, Cotabato against the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). For his many victories, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo lauded him as “the hero of Camp Rajamuddah.” In June 2001, Esperon was sent to Basilan to command the 103rd Infantry Brigade in order to recover a group of Western guests and Filipino employees who had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf from Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan.
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Esperon was a scholar at Philippine Science High School, where he graduated as valedictorian in 1970. He then enrolled at Philippine Military Academy (PMA). He graduated from PMA in 1974.
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SILVESTRE "BEBOT" BELLO III
Labor and Employment Secretary
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Silvestre Bello III was a member of the Free Legal Assistance Group founded by Senator Diokno. In 1986, he was appointed Undersecretary of Justice under Corazon Aquino; he became the Secretary of Justice in 1990 and served until 1992. He also served as Solicitor General from 1996 to 1998. He also head of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Negotiating Panel which held talks for peace negotiation with the NPA- CPP- NDF. He was also President and Chief Executive Officer of (CEO) PNOC - Development & Management Corp. In 2007, he became the presidential adviser on New Government Centers, and in 2008, Cabinet Secretary.
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Bello was born in Gattaran, Cagayan on 23 June 1944. He finished his elementary education at St. Ferdinand College in Ilagan, Isabela; his secondary at San Jacinto Seminary in Tuguegarao, Cagayan; his college education at Manuel L. Quezon University, Manila. Afterwards, he pursued law at Ateneo de Manila University. He speaks several languages and dialects including Ibanag, Tagalog, English, Ilocano, and Cebuano.
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RAMON LOPEZ
Trade and Industry Secretary
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Ramon Lopez has been the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship - Go Negosyo’s Executive Director for the past 11 years. Together with Go Negosyo’s Founder, Joey Concepcion, he has led the strong entrepreneurship advocacy promoting the enterprising culture among Filipinos.
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For 22 years, he has served the business sector as a top executive of RFM Corporation and has handled strategic planning and business development, mergers and acquisitions, and equity investors group. He has earned the respect of the business, financial and investment communities here and abroad.
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Ramon Lopez topped his Master in Development Economics at Williams College in Massachusetts, USA and finished his AB Economics degree at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
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He formerly worked with NEDA and DTI and has experience in trade and industry development planning.
His active and passionate involvement in Go Negosyo, not only as its Executive Director, but also as one of the Angelpreneurs has resulted to the admiration and respect of millions of small and medium entrepreneurs nationwide who were able to listen to his words of wisdom and valuable advice.
WANDA CORAZON TEO
Tourism Secretary
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Wanda Corazon Teo is the owner and President of the Mt. Apo Travel and Tours in Davao City and President of the National Association and Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS).
Teo is a graduate of BS Business Adminstration at the St. Theresa’s College in Quezon City, she is a member of the Davao Travel Agencies Association (DTAA), the Davao Association of Tour Operators (DATO) and the Davao Regional Tourism Council (DRTC).
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Teo is sister of Inquirer columnist Mon Tulfo.
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PAULYN JEAN ROSELL-UBIAL
Health Secretary
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Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial served as Assistant Secretary of Health, Area Cluster for Visayas and incumbent assistant secretary at the Department of Health, where she heads the Office for Health Regulations.
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Ubial, hails from M’lang in North Cotabato. Ubial is a graduate of the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Center (UERMMMC) Class of 1987.
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REGINA PAZ LOPEZ
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary
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Regina Paz “Gina” Lopez is a woman well-known for her various advocacies, particularly for her support of environmental causes through the ABS-CBN Foundation.
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Lopez is the daughter of ABS-CBN Chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez, Jr. and the sister of ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio Lopez III.
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Lopez attended Assumption College and later took up liberal arts at the Newton College of the Sacred Heart in Massachusetts. She has two sons, Benjamin and Roberto.
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Before she accepted the offer for DENR secretaryship, Lopez was the chairperson of both the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, the charitable institution of ABS-CBN Corporation and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. Among her remarkable projects during her stint with ABS-CBN Foundation are the Sagip Kapamilya, Bantay Bata 163, the reforestation of the La Mesa Watershed Reservation, and the rehabilitation of the Pasig River and nearby esteros thru the Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig project.
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She is also an anti-mining advocate, known for her stance against large-scale mining activities in the province of Palawan. She also objected the use of fossil fuels as sources of energy and coal mining.
The Bantay Bata under her leadership, has rescued over 20,000 children, Bantay Kalikasan has effectively reforested watershed areas around La Mesa Dam, Metro Manila’s primary source of water and energy. Having involved herself with the world most impoverished during 20 year stay in Africa.
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JOSE CALIDA
Solicitor General
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Jose C. Calida is a practicing lawyer from Davao del Sur, heads J. Calida & Associates Law Firm, married to Milagros Parantar Ordaneza, also from Davao.
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He finished AB English degree at Ateneo de Davao University in 1969 and obtained Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateno de Manila Law School in 1973.
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He served as Undersecretary of the Department of Justice during the Arroyo administration, in-charge of the National Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC),DOJ Task Force on Corruption and Internal Security and DOJ Task Force on Financial Fraud and Money Laundering.
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A born again Christian and member of Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s Jesus Is Lord Movement. Calida founded Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac), JIL’s political party, which later on won in the party-list polls. He was the Convenor of the God’s People’s Coalition for Righteousness that staged protests and prayer rallies and lobbied against the proliferation of pornography and smut films in the country.
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He was Executive director of the Dangerous Drugs Board during the Arroyo administration and current president and chairman of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency and senior vice president of insurance firm Prudential Guarantee.
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JESUS DUREZA
Presidential Adviser on Peace Process
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Jesus G. Dureza was a former Press Secretary of Arroyo administration and was the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. He also held several appointive positions in the government, including the chairmanship of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo); the chairmanship of the Government Peace Negotiating Panel for Talks with the MILF; and Presidential Assistant for Mindanao.
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He served as Presidential assistant for Mindanao and chairman of the Mindanao Economic Council during the Ramos administration.
He finished Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from the Ateneo de Davao University in 1967; and Bachelor of Laws at the Ateneo de Davao Law School in 1973, placing 10th in the bar exams the same year.
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MICHAEL DINO
Presidential Assistant for Visayas
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Michael Dino is the executive vice president of Fifth Avenue Property Development Corporation. He is also the founder of the Bisaya Na Pud Movement, "an initiative of the 35-million Bisaya community" to support Duterte's candidacy in the May 9 elections.
He graduated from the De La Salle University Manila, where he took up Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
He is also one of the owners of Unicraft Industries International, Inc., which produces wrought iron and stone-in-laid furniture.
