DOTC chief gets CA nod - in 1 day

The Commission on Appointments unanimously confirmed yesterday the ad interim appointment of Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and 21 military officers.

The confirmation of Mendoza came after the CA committee on transportation and communications headed by Quezon Rep. Rafael Nantes endorsed him on the very first hearing yesterday that took only about an hour to finish.

"It is one of the shortest confirmation hearings in committee history," admitted Nantes.

Mendoza, the first national police chief to be appointed to the Cabinet, expressed his thanks to CA members "for their whole-hearted support" and pledged to do his best.

The swift confirmation of Mendoza was in stark contrast to the protracted hearings on his predecessor, Pantaleon Alvarez, who resigned after being bypassed seven times, mainly because of the controversy generated by the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco) contract.

"I pledge to the transportation and communication sector my full-time attention and work on the various concerns of the sector to be able to serve the people well," Mendoza said.

"In all my actions, plans and programs, I will make sure that leaders of the industry as well as the affected personages will be involved in a regular and continuing dialogue for a holistic view and solution to issues and concerns," he said in a statement.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano said that Mendoza impressed all members of the CA committee, including minority members Sen. Edgardo Angara and Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta.

Mendoza, when asked about Piatco, said that is now being reviewed by a five-member committee headed by Justice Secretary Hernando Perez, and of which he is a member.

He said he could not give any policy stand on the issue pending the findings of the review committee.

"There is no grandstanding by General Mendoza, he works quietly, but he gets the job done. He is a man of strong values and leadership qualities. He is expected to institute reforms in the DOTC," Nantes said.

Sen. Robert Barbers said that Mendoza, the former chief of the Philippine National Police, was a no-nonsense policeman who rose from the ranks. He cited Mendoza’s success in improving the image of the PNP and of the quality of life of every policeman.

"The main reason why Secretary Mendoza breezed through the CA is because he is a former policeman. So, those who want to be Cabinet members, join the PNP first!" Barbers, also a former Manila police colonel and interior secretary, cracked.

DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion, for his part, said: "Actually, we expected that. There was no opposition. It’s as good as fully confirmed because Secretary Mendoza will only have to undergo the plenary hearing. It’s only a formality of some sort."

Lantion added that with Mendoza’s confirmation, the latter would "work harder for the betterment of the country’s transportation and telecommunication industry."

The CA also confirmed the ad interim appointment of 21 generals led by Lt. Gen. Dionisio Santiago, the Philippine Army commanding general; Lt. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, the chief of Southern Command; Maj. Gen. Alberto Fernando Braganza, chief of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Marciano Ilagan, commander of the Mactan air base in Cebu.

Romualdo described Santiago as "a fine commander who conceptualized the formation of a fast and light reaction unit against terrorists.

"General Braganza is a professional soldier who had shown his bravery and leadership in combat. His professional competence and invaluable inputs during the May siege of Malacañang helped President Arroyo quell the uprising," Romualdo said.

He said that Carolina is "a tenacious officer with unflagging will to win."

Among the other confirmed military officers were Brig. Gen. Dante Bonifacio, Brig. Gen. Arcadio Seron, Commodore Alvin Urbi, Brig. Gen. John Bolhayon, Brig. Gen. Francisco Brave, Brig. Gen. Gabriel Ledesma, and Maj. Gen. Felipe Gaerlan (posthumous). — With Sheila Crisostomo