New Manila International Airport General Manager retired military officer Jose Angel Honrado and 10 other new appointees of the Aquino administration were set to take their oath before President Noynoy Aquino in Malacanang on Thursday afternoon.

Also among the new government officials is Virgie Torres, the new Assistant Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications and chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Torres previously served as chief of the registration district office in Land Transportation Office-Tarlac, the home province of Aquino.

The other new appointees include Atty. Jose Amor M. Amorado as Senior Deputy executive secretary; Atty. Ericson A. Alcovendaz, AES (Assistant Executive Secretary) for finance and administration and OIC DESFA (Deputy Executive Secretary) for Finance and Administration; Atty. Ronald A. Geron, AES for Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (DESLA) and OIC DESLA office; Atty. Teofilo S. Pilando Jr., AES for government administration and OIC DESGA (Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration) office; Atty. Michael Frederick Musngi, Undersecretary Office of the Executive Secretary; Ma. Lourdes Ong, Presidential Assistant I, with the rank of Undersecretary, office of the special assistant to the President; Susan Reyes, Assistant Executive Secretary, Socials Secretary's Office; Rico Puno, Undersecretary for peace and order of the Department of Interior and Local Government; and Eric Gosengfiao, Deputy director general, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

This developed as Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose “Ping” de Jesus has named Dante Lantin as officer-in-charge of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

In Special Order 2010-81 dated July 2, De Jesus designated Lantin as LTFRB OIC, “in the exigency and best interest of the service pursuant to Memorandum Circular 1 of the Office of the President dated 30 June 2010.”

Lantin replaced LTFRB chairman Jimmy Pesigan, who is considered a “midnight appointee.” Also expected to be replaced are LTFRB board members Maria Elena Cabatu and Gerardo Pinili, who are not career executive service officers.

Lantin, who served as LTFRB board member and later chairman for several years, will return to the agency he headed during the administrations of Presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

Former LTFRB and Land Transportation Office chief Assistant Secretary Albert Suansing hailed Lantin’s designation, saying Lantin’s experience and track record speak of his capability.

“Experience wise, I can say that he is more than capable to lead the LTFRB,” Suansing said, in a telephone interview.

But when asked to react about his replacement as LTO chief, Suansing refused to take the calls.

Also, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and non-government human rights organizations urged the government to establish a participatory and transparent selection of a new CHR chief, who will be capable of braving the challenge of investigating human rights violations, particularly cases of extrajudicial killings.

The CHR, Ateneo Center for Human Rights, Karapatan, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), and Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) have issued a joint call for the President to establish a process for the selection of the CHR Chairperson that includes a mixed panel of decision-makers, open applications and consultations with stakeholders as required by international standards.

“A participatory and transparent selection process is vital to the CHR’s standing in the United Nations (UN) and other international bodies to speak up on the Philippine human rights situation and advocate for victims,” CHR officer-in-charge Commissioner Cecilia Rachel Quisumbing said.

She pointed out that CHR has already been warned by the international accreditation body in its past review that the process of selecting its members does not meet with the principles relating to the status of national human rights institutions, also known as the Paris Principles, which were adopted by the UN General Assembly Resolution 48/134 on December 30, 1993.

PAHRA chairperson Max De Mesa also agreed that the CHR sets the example for transparency in government processes.

Karapatan secretary-general Marie Hilao-Enriquez welcomed the CHR’s initiatives for a multi-stakeholder call to President Aquino. (with a report from Ellalyn De Vera)