Jaafar appointed as Amirul Hajj; Del Rosario as housing czar

From the Sun Star-Manila (Jul 13): Jaafar appointed as Amirul Hajj; Del Rosario as housing czar

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice chair for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar as Amirul Hajj (head of the Philippine Hajj Mission) for Hajj Mission 2017 to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In an operations manual released by National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), an Amirul Hajj is the one who heads the Muslim Filipino pilgrimage delegation to Mecca, Saudi Arabia who, by law, shall be the head of the Commission.

The NCMF said the appointed Amirul Hajj shall be knowledgeable on hajj rituals and with established and administrative and managerial skills.

Jaafar is the chair of 21-member Bangsamoro Transition Committee who drafted the new enabling Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is expected to be passed under Duterte’s watch.

Jaafar was among those who broke away from the Moro National Liberation Front in 1977 and created a breakaway group recognized as MILF in 1984. He led efforts to start peace negotiations with the past administrations.

The Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro was signed on March 27, 2014 between the government and MILF but failed to get off the ground after the proposed BBL, implementing law for the agreement, was not passed in 16th Congress.

Apart from Jaafar, Duterte also released appointment papers of five other newly-appointed government officials.

On July 12, the President appointed Eduardo del Rosario as chairperson of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

In December last year, Duterte named Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. as housing czar after Vice President Leni Robredo quit the post.

Prior to his appointment as HUDCC chair, Del Rosario was designated in July 2016 as Defense Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans and Retiree Affairs. He also served as former chairperson of National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Center.

Duterte also tapped lawyer Raul Lambino as administrator and chief executive officer of Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, in replacement of Jose Mari Ponce.

The President likewise assigned Water Besas as deputy executive director of Dangerous Drugs Board; Eric Distor as Director III of National Bureau of Investigation; and Metodio Turbella as Director IV of Environmental Management Bureau.

 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2017/07/13/jaafar-appointed-amirul-hajj-del-rosario-housing-czar-552755