All CA confirmation hearings called off

Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina, the majority leader of the bicameral Commission on Appointments, canceled yesterday all confirmation hearings because of the sudden adjournment by the Senate.

Espina pointed out that under the rules, the CA can function only when Congress is in session, and since Congress consists of the House and the Senate, the CA cannot validly transact business.

Several military officers up for confirmation were already in the Senate when they learned of the abrupt cancellation of the hearings.

"Many of these officers came from Mindanao, Isabela and other faraway places, all for nothing," said Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, chairman of the CA committee on national defense.

One of those up for confirmation was former Basilan Rep. Alvin Dans, who holds the rank of colonel in the reserve force of the Marine Corps.

Also canceled were the confirmation hearings of Social Welfare Undersecretary Karina David, Commission on Elections Chairman Alfredo Benipayo and Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Florentino Tuason, and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez III.

Alvarez was virtually assured of being confirmed in today’s plenary session until the revamp in the Senate threw aside all items on the legislative agenda. He, along with the other appointees bypassed, has to be reappointed by President Arroyo before they could be considered by the CA anew in the next regular session which convenes on July 22.

In a statement to the press yesterday, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines called on the CA to confirm Alvarez’s appointment, citing his "laudable performance in pursuit of good governance and the sustainable use of the country’s resources."

Earlier, the League of Provinces of the Philippines and the Liga ng mga Barangay passed their respective resolutions appealing to the CA to confirm Alvarez.

Bohol Vice Gov. Julius Herrera, president of the Vice Governors League of the Philippines, praised Alvarez for his policies of stimulating economic growth "without sacrificing the environment."

Meanwhile, government executives and political leaders of Mindanao welcomed President Arroyo’s decision to reappoint Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez, whose confirmation has been stalled due to corruption allegations.

Headed by Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, they said the allegations were baseless and they reaffirmed their "confidence in the integrity and competence" of Alvarez.

Mrs. Arroyo, they said, showed "iron political will by deciding to reappoint Secretary Alvarez despite the persistent and devious efforts of his detractors to block his confirmation."

If Alvarez is bypassed again, "it would be interpreted by the people of Mindanao as an expression of regional discrimination as Alvarez comes from Mindanao," they warned.

"The people of Mindanao have already lamented that their region is under-represented in Congress, in the Cabinet and other agencies of government," they said in a statement.

Alvarez was bypassed due to allegations that he received bribes from a company, Philippine International Air Transport Co. (Piatco), in exchange for a government contract for the construction of a terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He denied the accusations.

"Why should Piatco attempt to bribe Alvarez, who absolutely had nothing to do with the contract?" they said, pointing out that the contract was drafted during the administrations of Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.

Del Rosario and Duterte warned against accepting the testimony of Norbert Loesch, a former German consultant of Fraport AG, a partner of Piatco, who told the CA that Alvarez received bribes.

However, Loesch’s testimony was thrown into doubt when it was learned during Alvarez’s confirmation hearing that the German was also a consultant for Philippine Airlines and the MIA-NAIA Association of Service Providers, which oppose the Piatco deal as well Alvarez’s appointment.

"By his admission, Loesch is a tainted witness with an axe to grind," the Mindanao leaders said. – Efren Danao