PUNO'S FORMER AIDE NEW ANTI-DRUG CZAR

Heads Newly Formed Agency

A FORMER aide of former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has been named
anti-drug czar.

Anselmo Avenido, who served as interior undersecretary under Puno and then
under Interior Secretary Joey Lina, will head the newly formed Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). He retired as a three-star police general
last January 24.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo first announced her choice of anti-drug
czar during a dinner Thursday with executives of RMN led by its president,
Eric Canoy.

She named Efren Fernandez, who was chief of the Narcotics Group of the
Philippine National Police when he retired last month, as Avenido's deputy.

"(Avenido) was an academician. He always emerged at the top of his class,"
said an insider at the PNP.

Aware of the opposition of civil society groups to Puno and other so-called
"henchmen" of her deposed predecessor Joseph Estrada, the President denied
that Puno had recommended Avenido to her.

She said a Palace search committee had endorsed Avenido, a 1967 graduate of
the Philippine Military Academy.

Estrada appointed Avenido interior undersecretary on May 25, 1999. At the
time he was PNP deputy director general who headed the Philippine Center for
Transnational Crimes (PCTC).

Puno had reportedly recommended Avenido for that post. Also according to
reports, he is an uncle-in-law of Estrada son Jinggoy.

Ms Macapagal told the Inquirer at a dinner two weeks ago that she would
appoint Puno as anti-drug consultant.

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo said he had asked the brothers Ronaldo and
Ricardo Puno and Jaime Policarpio to "help" the administration. Ricardo Puno
and Policarpio served as Estrada's press secretary and legislative liaison
officer, respectively.

The President later had to assure civil society groups that she had not
offered the so-called "Estrada henchmen" posts in her administration.

One of the things the President is expected to announce in her State of the
Nation Address on Monday is her plan to organize the PDEA and Dangerous
Drugs Board within a month.

This is in accordance with the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which provides
for the creation of the two bodies and which Congress passed last month.