MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chair Martin Diño as Department of the Interior and Local Government undersecretary.

His appointment paper was signed Monday.

Shortly after his exit from the SBMA last September 25, Diño was quoted in reports as saying that he was offered a job in the DILG as the agency’s undersecretary for barangay affairs, which the Palace denied.

He was removed from the SBMA after Duterte appointed lawyer Wilma Eisma as the agency’s new chairperson and administrator.

The president earlier designated Eisma as SBMA administrator in December 2016, which stripped Diño of the position that he held concurrently as chairman of the agency.

The two leadership positions caused a power struggle between the two top SBMA leaders.

Diño was the presidential candidate of PDP-Laban during the last elections until he was replaced at the last minute by Duterte, who was then Davao City mayor.

READ: Palace: Diño not yet appointed to DILG, other gov't agencies