President Rodrigo Duterte appointed a new administrator of the National Food Authority, according to NFA officer-in-charge administrator Tomas Escarez.

In a phone interview with Daily Manila Shimbun, Escarez said Judy Carol Dansal took her oath on Tuesday before Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol.

“It’s a very simple oath taking. She was not asked to deliver a message,” Escarez said.

Escarez said Dansal will start on June 20, Thursday.

“As the officer-in-charge right now, I tend to call the committee members of the NFA composed of the department managers and the regional directors to brief her so that in the briefing, she would be giving us her message, plus her policy direction as administrator of the NFA,” he said.

Escarez said Dansal has been appointed by Malacanang as one of the members of the NFA Council. Then, she was nominated to be the NFA administrator.

“Then, as members, the administrator should come from the ranks of the NFA Council. Because she has an appointment as member of the council, she can be nominated as administrator,” he added.

He said he received the nomination from the Office of the President last June 14.

Dansal will serve the unexpired term of former administrator Jason Aquino until June 30.

“And then after June 30, we will renew again,” he said.

Dansal is a former NFA deputy administrator for marketing operations who will replace Aquino after he was relieved in September 2018 over alleged rice smuggling.

Escarez will revert to being NFA deputy administrator.

“I wish to thank you for your support, trust and confidence on me, as your temporary leader ? during my stint as OIC-Administrator for the past several months…battling all odds and problems to keep our beloved agency afloat!” he said in a statement posted on Facebook. Ella Dionisio/DMS