Palace insists Garcia is SBMA administrator

Malacañang on Sunday insisted that President Aquino had appointed Roberto Garcia as administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as it expressed puzzlement over the claims of another person that he got the job.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said she had long announced that Garcia was concurrent director and administrator of SBMA.

“I do not know why some are saying the President signed an appointment paper without a bar code. But as far as we are concerned, Chair Garcia had been given the concurrent appointment as administrator of SBMA for some time now,” Valte told government radio dzRB.

She also said that it was “highly improbable” that the Palace made a double appointment for the SBMA top post.

Michael Macapagal claimed that he was appointed SBMA administrator by President Aquino and that Garcia was only appointed as director.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. had denied that Macapagal had been appointed to the post.