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By Efren L. Danao Senior
Reporter
The Commission on Appointments
confirmed on its last session day Wednesday 102 presidential
appointees led by five Cabinet members. This constitutes the biggest
number of appointees confirmed in a single day.
The unprecedented mass
confirmation apparently was lost on a member senator.
Sen. Jamby Madrigal said she
would file a case before the Supreme Court on Thursday questioning
the composition of the appointments commission. She maintained that
all proceedings of the commission were illegal because the Senate
did not follow the proportional party representation mandated by the
Constitution.
Madrigal had asked Senate
President Manuel Villar Jr. to reconstitute the 12-man Senate panel
to the Commission on Appointments but Villar said only the political
parties could replace their representatives to the bicameral body.
She said Villar was merely washing his hands instead of exercising
true leadership.
The commission’s session
started at 9 a.m., unlike before when it began after noon, and the
appointees had to be confirmed in batches. The plenary session,
however, remained congested with the presence of the relatives and
well-wishers of those confirmed.
The Cabinet members confirmed
were Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd, Budget Secretary Rolando
Andaya Jr., Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Justice Secretary
Raul Gonzalez and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo
Puno.
The only unconfirmed Cabinet
members and considered bypassed were Environment and Natural
Resources Secretary Lito Atienza and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes.
Also confirmed were Commission on
Audit Chairman Reynaldo Villar and Commission on Elections Chairman
Jose Melo.
Forty military officers,
including 30 generals led by Gen. Alexander Yano, got the nod of the
appointments commission. The 41st military officer on the agenda,
Col. Arthur Abadilla of the Philippine Air Force, failed to get the
nod of the majority. Earlier, the commission’s Committee on
National Defense rejected the promotion of Col. Jesus Anquillo to
brigadier general because he had been convicted twice on final
judgment by a general court-martial and should have been
dishonorably discharged instead of getting promoted.
Fifty-five diplomats were the
first ones confirmed early in the day.
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