MANILA, Philippines — Former Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo on Thursday said that she wants to know the reason why the congressional Commission on Appointments rejected her ad interim appointment.
After Perfecto Yasay Jr. and Gina Lopez, Taguiwalo was the third Cabinet appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte to be rejected by the appointment body.
"Wala ho talaga akong natanggap na dahilan bakit hindi ako pumasa so sana, sabi ko, kahit 'yun man lang ang pabaon sa akin. 'Hindi ka namin i-appoint kasi...' kay Gina (Lopez) may mga dahilan sila, they provided a reason for Gina," Taguiwalo said in an interview with radio dzMM.
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Taguiwalo noted that her track record was clean and that she was able to prove that was deserving of the post after more than a year in office.
She added that she is presuming that the reason why the commission rejected her was her "inability to give them what they wanted."
"Kung 'yung basic requirement for a public servant, especially secretary of a big department, I think I have the one year to show the people anong kaya ko so 'yun naman pero mukhang hindi naman 'yun ang pamantayan at nalungkot nga ako kasi I would have wanted to know officially, formally why they rejected me, 'yung majority na sinasabi nila," Taguiwalo said.
Taguiwalo, on the other hand, expressed her gratitude for the senators who voted for her appointment including Sens. Cynthia Villar, Loren Legarda, Ralph Recto, Sonny Angara and Francis Pangilinan.
The former DSWD secretary was one of the nominees of the National Democratic Front when Duterte announced that he would offer government positions to the so-called left.
"At the end of the day, kaliwa man o hindi, ang bottomline competence, integrity at pagmamahal sa bayan. On that basis alone, pagtingin ko, I am proud to be kaliwa," Taguiwalo said.
"To be left is to serve the people with competence, with integrity and with patriotism," she added.
READ: DSWD's Taguiwalo fails to hurdle appointments body