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By Efren L. Danao Senior
Reporter
Senator Jamby Madrigal went ballistic at the Commission on
Appointments on Wednesday, invoking a seldom-used rule to block the
confirmation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd, Elections
Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon and 24 military officers, 17 of
them of star rank.
“Let the generals shoot me if
they want. I am doing this out of principle,” she thundered,
almost in hysterics, as she sought to justify her wholesale
prevention of the confirmation of the appointees.
Madrigal invoked Section 20 of
the commission’s rules, which allows a member to stop any plenary
action on any appointee. The invocation is non-debatable. This had
been used sparingly and only against individual appointees, not
against all appointees recommended for confirmation.
While Madrigal claimed she was
doing this out of principle, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said she did this
because she was still smarting from her rebuff in the last session
where Brig. Gen. Nestor Sadiarin got confirmed despite her vow to
block it. Madrigal did not hear Sadiarin’s name called and did not
object until Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. had banged the
gavel.
Madrigal’s wholesale invocation
of Section 20 drew strong reactions from Biazon and Sen. Richard
Gordon.
Gordon said Section 20 should not
be used out of pique, chicanery, or fraud.
“We have witnessed a dastardly
form of Section 20,” he added.
Gordon said he could understand
if a member of the commission would invoke it against an appointee,
because he or she could not in conscience agree to his or her
confirmation.
“But an omnibus motion done
cavalierly is an act of a senator or a congressman. I will not
participate in the staining of these people, all of whom went
through the microscope of scrutiny,” he added.
Gordon said invoking Section 20
in the manner that Madrigal did made it appear as if the members of
the commission were not studying, and that they had become
“insensitive” to the sacrifices of the soldiers. He noted that
Madrigal did not even inquire into their qualifications except for
one or two.
“Many of these soldiers are not
as well heeled as the lady. Those stars were earned, not inherited
like wealth,” he added.
Biazon was equally emphatic in
questioning the wholesale invocation of Section 20.
“We can’t victimize those who
have sacrificed for their country just because we have some
questions on some of them,” he said, as he reiterated his earlier
calls for a review of Section 20 to prevent a repetition of what had
just transpired.
Madrigal was unbending in her
motion, even when a former close friend, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas
2nd, appealed to her, saying that it would be unfair to many
qualified nominees to have their confirmation deferred along with
the questioned ones.
She said that while her heart
goes for the generals present, she also sympathizes with the
soldiers in the field who were not promoted because they had no
padrinos (political godfathers).
“These generals can kill me if
they want, but I will not compromise. I am doing this to institute
reforms,” Madrigal added.
Lt. Gen. Pedro Isberto, the
highest ranked officer in the group, said they are witnessing
democracy at work and they would not take Madrigal’s action
against the Senate.
An officer at the back of the
room where the hearing was held said he would not shoot Madrigal.
“Wala kaming bala [We have no
bullets.],” the voice at the back said.
Most of them said that was the
first time they had heard of Section 20.
Villar, the chairman of the
commission, said Duque, Macarambon and the 24 military officers
would not undergo any more confirmation hearing when session resumes
after the Lenten break. He added that their confirmation would be
considered by the plenary session.
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