4 Cabinet secretaries bypassed

MANILA, Philippines - Four Cabinet members were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) yesterday, the last session day of Congress for the year.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, overall CA chairman, said President Aquino must issue new ad interim appointments to Secretaries Ramon Paje of environment, Corazon Soliman of social welfare, Leila de Lima of justice and Jericho Petilla of energy.

“The President should issue them another ad interim appointment in order to enable them to continue discharging their functions, because their appointment terminates when we adjourn today or on Friday under our calendar,” Drilon said.

Paje had another chance to secure his confirmation yesterday, his fourth appearance before the CA, but Sen. Sergio Osmeña III wanted to ask him more questions.

During previous confirmation hearings, Paje came face-to-face with a number of individuals and groups opposing his appointment. Among them were Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Antonio Cerilles, the Save the Sierra Madre Alliance and a certain Dicky Lim, a businessman from El Nido, Palawan.

The CA had not yet scheduled De Lima and Petilla for hearings.

Petilla was only appointed to the Department of Energy in October 2012, while Paje, Soliman and De Lima all assumed office shortly after the administration started in 2010.

During the CA session yesterday, the promotions of 88 senior officers of the Armed Forces were confirmed.

Among them were Lieutenant Generals Rustico Guerrero, Roy Deveraturda, Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo and Ricardo Rainier Cruz III.

Also confirmed were Major Generals Hernando Iriberri, Gamaliel Cruz, Richard Siga-an, John Bonafos, Crisologo Nayve, Romeo Gapuz, Edgar Fallorina, Romeo Tanalgo and Rodelio Santos.

Rear Admirals Jesus Millan, Leopoldo Alan and Isabelo Gador were also confirmed.

Also confirmed were Commodores Franco Sebastian Pan, Antonio Habulan Jr., Ronald Joseph Mercado, Joel de la Cruz and Primitivo Gopo.

Twenty-two officers were also promoted to the rank of brigadier general, including Rodrigo Diapana, who was not initially in the CA list.

Sen. Loren Legarda pushed for the inclusion of Diapana, who the President promoted last August.

Legarda said the only problem with Diapana was his paperwork, which somehow did not find its way to the CA until September.

A senior officer, Charleston Suiga of the Navy, was included in the original CA list, but he was left out of the confirmation hearing yesterday because of what appeared to be an anomaly in his papers.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, the CA majority leader, said Suiga retired last October based on a letter he received from the Navy.

Fariñas sought clarification on the actual status of Suiga, whose promotion to the rank of captain was brought before the CA.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano expressed his concern over the CA confirming Suiga if he is already retired.