MANILA, Philippines – Following the resignation of Jesus Clint Aranas from the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS), the country’s biggest state-run pension fund was left without a president and general manager.
Pressed by finance beat reporters on Aranas’ possible replacement, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said Wednesday morning that he “can’t say at this time.”
Asked further if it may be current GSIS chairman Rolando Macasaet, Dominguez replied: “Possible.”
It was likewise rumored earlier that Macasaet may be appointed Department of Budget and Management (DBM) secretary after President Duterte appointed then Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno as Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Macasaet, 58, replaced then GSIS chairman Francisco Duque III who was appointed Department of Health (DOH) Secretary.
Macasaet was a member of San Miguel Corp.’s board of directors prior to his stint at the pension fund.
Macasaet also served as president of state-run Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) during the terms of former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo.
He had likewise been the country’s representative to the board of the Beijing-based multilateral lender Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). /gsg