President Aquino Monday appointed more than a dozen new government officials, including top executives of two government corporations.

The President designated the new Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) officials led by bankers Francisco del Rosario Jr. and Jose Nuñez, as President and Chairman, respectively.

Juan Santos, former trade secretary and chief executive officer of Nestle Philippines, was named new Chairman of the Social Security System (SSS). Santos was among the cabinet members of then President Arroyo who resigned and demanded her resignation over election fraud charges in 2005.

The new government executives were among the 36 appointees who took their oath before the President in Malacañang.

Del Rosario was former defense undersecretary and president of Roxas Holdings Inc., while Nuñez served as director at the Philippine Veterans Bank.

The President also appointed two close political allies, namely former Civil Service Commission chairperson Karina David as member of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) board of trustees and ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. director Regina Paz Lopez as chairwoman of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

David was last seen in the Palace last Friday when she attended a leadership forum convened by the President with his campaign volunteers. The President, during the assembly, hinted he was trying to convince David to join his administration.

Lopez met recently with the President to brief him about efforts to clean up Pasig River.

“Absolutely not a political reward. Gina Lopez has long been involved in efforts to clean up the Pasig River. It’s a logical choice,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ramon Carandang said.

Juan Kevin Belmonte, son of the President’s close ally Quezon City Rep. Sonny Belmonte, and Antonio Jose Periquet, managing director of Deutsche Regis Partners, Inc. were also named members of the DBP board.

Also sworn into office are former police Director Rex Piad as Special Envoy for Transnational Crime and Palawan Governor Abraham Kahlil Mitra as chairman of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development.

Former police officer Felizardo Serapio Jr is new executive director of the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime while Dr. Peter Tiangco was reappointed administrator of National Mapping and Resource Information Agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Other appointees who took their oath are Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) head Herminio Coloma, Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan, GSIS chairman Daniel Lacson Jr., and Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Ma. Regina Martin, Toll Regulatory Board member Atty. Teofilo Abejo III, Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) board member Manuel Dimaculangan, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) board members Jaime Laya and Maria Cristina Tularalba.

New Philippine Sports Commission officials are former national women's dragon boat coach Geraldine Go Bernardo as executive director and Little League Philippines administrator Jose Luis Reyes Gomez as commissioner.

The new undersecretaries are Antonio Parungao and Jerry Pacturan of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and Maria Theresa Martinez of the Department of Tourism.

The new assistant secretaries are Herminia Fe San Juan, Mary Frances Aquino, Felix Perry Villanueva of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Jacqueline Veloria Mejia and Geronimo Sy of the Department of Justice, Maria Victoria Jasmin and Domingo Ramon Energio of the Department of Tourism, and Elizardo de Loyola and Renato Marfil of the PCOO.