Keeping in mind a new administration, Commission on Appointments defers confirmation hearing yet again
MANILA, Philippines —President Rodrigo Duterte's five officials appointed ad interim continue to wait confirmation to officially lead constitutional offices after the Senate majority leader hinted that it would be more prodent to wait for the incoming president to appoint officials of his choice.
The congressional Commission on Appointments had once again suspended proceedings on the confirmation hearing of the ad interim presidential appointees on Monday, rescheduling it on Wednesday this week, June 1.
“My suggestion is since we have a last day, which could be on Wednesday, we can take it up on Wednesday. The hearing today, we can take it up on a Wednesday and under our rules, we’ll have to vote on it in caucus,” Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said.
The motion to suspend the hearing for the deliberation on the ad interim appointments of five nominees of the Commission on Elections, Commission on Audit, and Civil Service Commission did not receive objections.
The confirmation hearing was originally scheduled on May 25. To recall, awaiting confirmation are the following:
- Comelec Chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan
- Comelec Commissioner George Erwin Garcia
- Comelec Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri
- COA Chairperson Rizalina Noval Justo
- CSC Chairperson Karlo Alexei Nograles
“Many of my colleagues feel that maybe it is or it should be the choice of the new president… particularly in the appointments of these constitutional offices,” Zubiri said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III suggested that the congressional body make appointments on a “case-to-case basis.” Pimentel noted that some of the appointments were made while the Congress was on break because of the elections campaign period.
A president may nominate or appoint an interim official into an office, but these have to be confirmed by the CA as a check and balance.
Under the CA’s confirmation process, “an ad interim appointment ceases to be valid upon disapproval by the Commission on Appointments or, if not confirmed, until the next adjournment of Congress.”
The five were appointed ad interim by Duterte earlier this year, but Zubiri kept pointing out that the president-elect should be given the opportunity to select these individuals despite there not being a law stating so.
He also said the president-elect would even have a shorter term versus the individual appointed as the COA chairperson.
“[That’s] a position of seven years meaning this new president, with a mandate of 31 million votes, will not even be able to appoint the head of the COA until even on the last day of his term because she would have a longer period of time than the president,” Zubiri said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who garnered a record majority in this year’s polls, will be taking office on June 30. His term ends after six years.
Meanwhile, Zubiri won his re-election bid as part of Marcos' UniTeam slate.
In an update from CNN Philippines on Monday afternoon, Zubiri said Marcos Jr. had talked to him and when he was asked if he received an endorsement for Senate President, he said he “ does not want to sound presumptuous.”
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