9 Rody Cabinet members bypassed

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Appointments (CA) bypassed nine members of President Duterte’s Cabinet by not confirming their appointments before Congress adjourned for the Christmas holidays yesterday.

Bypassed were Emmanuel Piñol of agriculture, Rafael Mariano of agrarian reform, Leonor Briones of education, Regina Lopez of environment and natural resources, Paulyn Jean Ubial of health, Vitaliano Aguirre II of justice, Judy Taguiwalo of social welfare and development, Ramon Lopez of trade and industry and Perfecto Yasay Jr. of foreign affairs.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, CA majority leader, said it was the second time the Cabinet members were bypassed, either due to opposition to their confirmation or the appointees’ failure to submit the required documents, like clearances from the Office of the Ombudsman and the courts.

“They were first bypassed in October when Congress went on a Halloween recess,” Albano said.

He said the President could either choose to reappoint his nine Cabinet members on Saturday, when Congress officially starts its Christmas break, or replace them.

Albano suggested that the office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea obtain a copy of the calendar of sessions of Congress to guide them in preparing new appointments for the President’s signature.

“They should go by our legislative calendar in making ad interim appointments, which are issued while Congress is not in session and which are immediately effective and remain so until the next congressional adjournment,” he said.

Of the nine bypassed Cabinet members, Piñol and Ubial’s appointments have been subjected to hearings but their confirmation was deferred due to opposition from CA members.

The CA has so far confirmed 14 members of the Duterte Cabinet led by Medialdea.

Duterte had admitted the non-confirmation of his Cabinet secretaries is causing problems, even as he maintained that his officials are qualified for the job.

“I’m thankful that they were not rejected outright so… just bypassed. In Congress, if you are rejected, that’s the end of your career in government,” he said during the Wallace Business Forum dinner at Malacañang on Monday.

The President said Lopez, who suspended 10 mining firms for failing environmental audit, might no longer be confirmed should the CA bypass her again.

Duterte said he would not interfere with Lopez’s duties.

“She has her own mind,” he said, adding Lopez visited him almost four times while he was awaiting his inauguration.

“She would go there late, about one o’clock, two o’clock, because I was entertaining all sorts of people. And she would open her laptop and say, ‘look, Mr. President-elect, you should – when you become the president – look at the spillage there, look at the deterioration, look at the rice fields there…’ And I said I agree because it’s visual,” he said.

Duterte said Lopez accepted the post of environment secretary a day after he offered it to her.

“But I am not saying that she is not qualified. That’s what I am saying – that it was a far-fetched idea of her accepting the position. She said, ‘yes, of course.’ I do not want to embarrass her, mapahiya eh (she will be embarrassed). Sabi ko (I said), ‘yes.’ ‘okay, I’ll consult my family and I would let you know,’” Duterte said.

“The following day, kaagad, ora mismo (immediately), she called (my long-time aide) Bong (Go) and she said, ‘Bong, you tell the mayor that my family agreed for me to work in government.’ Tinanggap, kasi pumayag raw, the family agreed that she would work in government. Sabi ko, ‘Ha? Patay na (I said ‘we’re dead),” he added.

The President defended Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade from critics, saying those who do not like him may be practicing “political masochism.”

Duterte hinted that the emergency powers he is seeking to address traffic have been stalled because some lawmakers do not like Tugade. – With Alexis Romero