NewsLine Philippines

Building Information Highway for the Community

Marcos Appoints Leo Magno as MinDA Chair

by 111 Comments

DAVAO CITY –— President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on May 13 appointed Leo Tereso Abellera Magno as Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) replacing Maria Belen Acosta.

“By virtue hereof, you may quality and perform the duties of the office. Furnishing the Office of the President and the Civil Service Commission with copies of your Oath of Office,” Magno’s appointment states.

With his appointment, Magno is expected to lead the Mindanao development and investment efforts and work with the leaders of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia as Mindanao in the Philippines holds a key position in the BIMP-EAGA (East Asean Growth Area).

Changing the guards

Magno, an educator, is the 6th chairperson of MinDA since it was signed into law through Republic Act 9996 on February 17, 2010. 

The chairperson has a fixed six-year term of office.

Among the appointees, Magno is the only one who never joined politics.

The first occupant to the post was Lawyer Jesus Dureza. he was appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 2 until he stepped down on September 9 of the same year.

Despite his fixed term, on July 29, 2010,  Dureza tendered his voluntary resignation to newly elected president Benigno Aquino Jr. to give Aquino “a free hand and full opportunity” to choose the new chair of his choice.

On September 12, 2016, Luwalhati Antonino succeeded Dureza until September 9, 2016. She was succeeded by the late Abdul Khayr Alonto who was an appointee of then-President Rodrigo Duterte but he died before finishing his term. Duterte then appointed an OIC in the person of Atty. Niel Dalumpines but on August 5, 2019,  Duterte appointed Emmanuel Piñol as the new chair but he resigned to run as senator in 2021. Acosta assumed office on January 17, 2022.

When Marcos was elected in 2022, talks circulated about Acosta’s replacement since she did not enjoy the trust and confidence of Malacañang.

On many occasions, the Palace reportedly offered Acosta positions equivalent to a “Secretary Level” but she declined the offer invoking her fixed term of office, this led to the creation of the Office Presidential Assistance for Mindanao in November 2022, Magno was appointed Secretary and since then some functions of MinDA were delegated to Magno’s office.

Minda has the mandate to promote, coordinate, and facilitate the active and extensive participation of all sectors to affect the socioeconomic development of Mindanao. It is the permanent Philippine Coordinating Office (PCOBE) for the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The appointment

Among the agencies which are established for Mindanao development, MinDa has enjoyed posh offices since 2022, it occupied two spacious floors in Pryce Tower in Davao City and office 3rd floor (office staff) and 4th floor (Chair’s office) at Dusit Thani Hotel in Manila.   

Who is Leo Tereso Abellera Magno?

Born on March 7, 1972 to socialite Evelyn Abellera Magno, his father was a banker.

“My Father died when I was four,” he told Newsline in an interview last January.

Magno is the grandson of the late Justice Leopoldo Abellera who served as government’s corporate counsel from 1966 to 1976 during the term of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The late president administered the oath of Abellera, as government corporate counsel and Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals.  He was also appointed as chairman of the Board of Transportation.

Justice Abellera was a classmate of Marcos Sr. in law university and they passed the bar together.

Magno is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of one of Davao’s pioneering educational institutions, Rizal Memorial Colleges based in Davao City, which has branched out from Davao Region to Manila and other parts of Luzon.

A true-blooded Davaoeño with roots from Cateel, Davao Oriental.

Journey with the Palace

  • In 1998, Magno was appointed as Regional Director of the Land Transportation Office  XI during the term of then-president Joseph Estrada. When Estrada stepped down from the Palace, Magno voluntarily vacated his post in 2001.
  • In 2010, late president Benigno C. Aquino Jr appointed Magno as the administrator of the Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corporation (Phividec).
  • In 2019, then Iligan City Mayor Franklin Quijano, President Rodrigo Duterte’s political ally replaced Magno as administrator.
  • In November 2022, Marcos Jr. appointed Magno as Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao.
  • August of 2023, Marcos designated Magno as the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (Cords) for Southern Mindanao.

As Cords representative, Magno works for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) to further intensify the government’s fight against insurgency.

Last May 13, 2024, President Marcos Jr. signed the appointment of Magno as MinDA Chair.

His journey in with the Palace officials is not just because of his capacity as a technocrat and public servant, but also his connection with the powers that be who recognized his value as a public servant and a friend.

He is often described as a very silent and hardworking government servant and was never involved in controversy from politics to finance.

pbbm-apoints-educator-as-pa-for-eastern-mindanao

In January interview with Newsline, Magno  said “I am just an ordinary government worker, I will continue to deliver my best in the interest of the public and the Filipino people in general.” He then thanked Marcos Jr. and Anton Lagdameo, the Special Assistant to the President for the trust.

Newsline tried to reach out to Magno about his new appointment but he did not respond as of this posting.

Reports reaching Newsline,  however, revealed Magno’s transition team went to the MinDA office last Friday and sought an appointment with Acosta but she declined to meet the new chair.

Reports have it that Acosta referred the issue to her lawyers.

About Editha Z. Caduaya

Edith Z Caduaya studied Bachelor of Science in Development Communication at the University of Southern Mindanao.

The chairperson of Mindanao Independent Press Council (MIPC) Inc.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ydrvqhrel says

    Bwin is a prominent non GamStop casino offering sports betting, live betting, and a massive roster of online casino games. With its intuitive design, players can easily access casino games like slots, live roulette, and blackjack. The slot games feature renowned titles like Book of Dead and Gates of Olympus, providing interactive themes and immersive gameplay. 20 No Deposit Free Spins We are honored to be responsible guests on the traditional and contemporary territories of the Coast Salish people, who have stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial. The Seattle Aquarium is committed to developing a strong foundation for long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships with Tribal Nations, urban Native peoples and, as our mission grows, the Indigenous peoples of the Indo-Pacific and their local diaspora. We strive for reciprocal, respectful relationships rooted in the sovereignty of our Indigenous hosts. We too give thanks to the ocean and all our ocean relatives we have the honor to care and advocate for, be in relationship with, and be educators with for the future wellbeing of our shared Earth.
    https://antreprenoriatstudenti-ne.ro/space-xy-by-bgaming-a-captivating-casino-game-review-for-global-players/
    The relation of the coyote and the moon goes long back in the history. And that’s why IGT thought to portray the wonderfulness of this bond through this slot game. You can see a beautiful full moon in the backdrop, which is busy in illuminating the deserted land. So how do you win the Coyote Moon slot machine? To win the slot, like any other, you must hit matching icons on the reels from right to left. All other symbols can be replaced by wild symbols except the scatter. You will have your total bet doubled if the centre reel has three scatters appearing. This also triggers the free gratis spins (5). The slot has an interesting paytable system. It features a separate paytable for the basic game, and the bonus plays free spins. The following are the rules, symbols, and payouts for the slot paytables: 1 to 40 paylines; all line wins pay left to right; all line pays multiplied by the line bet; Coyote Moon symbol = wild symbol – substitutes for anything except scatter symbol.

    Reply

  5. Rodneymen says

    pharmacy online australia [url=https://pharmau24.shop/#]pharmacy online australia[/url] pharmacy online australia

    Reply

  16. Rodneymen says

    get antibiotics without seeing a doctor [url=http://biotpharm.com/#]buy antibiotics online[/url] Over the counter antibiotics for infection

    Reply

  76. Michaelsep says

    adderall canadian pharmacy [url=https://expressrxcanada.shop/#]canadian pharmacy prices[/url] legitimate canadian mail order pharmacy

    Reply

  79. Michaelsep says

    mexico drug stores pharmacies [url=https://rxexpressmexico.com/#]Rx Express Mexico[/url] mexican online pharmacy

    Reply

  82. Michaelsep says

    canadian pharmacy scam [url=http://expressrxcanada.com/#]Canadian pharmacy shipping to USA[/url] canadian family pharmacy

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *