Bongbong Marcos picks ex-PAL president Jaime Bautista for DOTr

FILE PHOTO: Former PAL President and COO Jaime “Jimmy” Bautista is the new DOTr Secretary under the Marcos administration.

MANILA, Philippines — President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has selected former Philippine Airlines president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista as the next secretary of the Department of Transportation.

This was confirmed Thursday by incoming Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez.

“Yes,” Rodriguez told INQUIRER.net in a text message when asked if Bautista has been chosen as the next transport chief.

Bautista, who will replace current Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, retired from the PAL in June 2019 after 26 years of working for the flag carrier.

Bautista served as vice president for finance of PAL from 1993 to 1994, chief finance officer from 1994 to 1999, executive vice president from 1999 to 2004, and president from 2004 to 2012 and 2014 to 2019.

“For the last 26 years, I worked very hard, working 24/7. I have not given much time to my family,” Bautista said in 2019 when he resigned.

“I have traveled a lot but I haven’t visited the places I wanted to see because whenever I travel it’s always for work, so I think I really need to have a break,” he added.

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EDV