MALOLOS, Bulacan — President Arroyo has appointed Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) director Horacio Ramos as new secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), replacing embattled Secretary Eleazar Quinto.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Quinto was transferred as director general of the Office of the Political Coalition Affairs, an agency attached to the Office of the President.

Quinto served only a few months as acting DENR secretary shortly after Secretary Lito Atienza resigned from his post to run for mayor in Manila. But Quinto's term was reportedly marred by protests from some DENR officials over his controversial reorganization of the department.

Ermita, in a press briefing a few hours before the President inspected a resettlement site here, said the ad interim appointment of Ramos was issued last February 8. Ramos is a mining engineer by profession.

He said the President also appointed Marikor Imperial, undersecretary from the Palace coalition affairs, to replace Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III. Bello quit the Arroyo cabinet to pursue his senatorial bid in the upcoming elections.

Ermita defended the President’s latest Cabinet appointments, saying it was her sole prerogative to hire or dismiss people as she deems fit.

He also denied speculations that the short-lived term of Quinto was caused by the leadership row in the DENR. Quinto is a know ally for former Environment Secretary Atienza “The President alone would know the criteria of a person to fill the vacant post. She alone chooses the right person,” he added.

Ramos started his career at the MGB in 1969 and occupied various posts including Regional Executive Director of DENR- Cordillera Administrative Region before becoming the agency's director in 1996. (Genalyn Kabiling)