GMA to reappoint 2 Alvarezes

President Arroyo said yesterday she will reappoint to the Cabinet Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez III whose confirmation have been effectively bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

"I am trying to help them get confirmed. Again, you know, basically, within also the constraint of respecting and not dictating on the commission," the President told reporters at Malacañang.

She strongly belied reports that she has been scouting for replacements for the two Cabinet members, adding she will reissue ad interim appointments for the two Alvarezes.

Meanwhile, Senate President Franklin Drilon closed the door yesterday to the confirmation of the two Alvarezes in the Cabinet of President Arroyo before Congress goes on Lenten recess next week.

Drilon said that the Commission on Appointments could not confirm the two as the appropriate committees could not possibly finish hearings by March 13, the last session day of the CA.

"The two cannot be confirmed. It is now up to President Arroyo whether or not she would reappoint these two gentlemen," he said.

Under CA rules, an appointment is considered bypassed if it is not confirmed before the CA goes on recess. The President should reappoint the officials before CA resumes its sessions to enable the bicameral body to continue with the confirmation process.

The bypassing of the DOTC chief was already a foregone conclusion the other day after some CA members called for the production of more documents related to issues raised against him. Biliran Rep. Gerry Espina, the CA majority leader, said that aside from the documents, 11 parties still have to be heard by the CA, making it virtually impossible to confirm Pantaleon Alvarez on March 13.

There are still a chance that the confirmation hearing of Heherson Alvarez would be completed next week, but this was written off with the announcement of Drilon. Earlier, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., chairman of the CA committee on environment and natural resources, said he would try to finish the confirmation hearing on Alvarez next week.

Magsaysay stressed, however, that this would have to depend on the speed with which they would hear the opposition to Alvarez’s confirmation.

Drilon said that the expected bypassing of the appointment of the two Alvarezes could not be construed as rejection "because the plenary session had no opportunity to pass on their appointment."

"But it indicates the difficulty of the nominees’ getting through the confirmation process. The number of oppositors is such that it is simply impossible to deliberate on these appointments in time for our adjournment next week," he further explained.

He stressed that an appointment may be bypassed a number of times. The appointments of Justice Secretary Hernando Perez, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho were bypassed at least three times before they were confirmed. President Arroyo reappointed them each time they were bypassed.

Drilon, however, said the President might not always reappoint those bypassed.

"But at a certain point, the President should reassess the situation whether or not the nominee has the support of the CA," he added.

Early this year, Ambassador to Germany-designate Rufus Rodriguez asked President Arroyo not to reappoint him after he was bypassed twice by the CA.

Rodriguez said he took that as an indication that he would have a difficult time before the CA and concluded that he should save the President from embarrassment at having an appointee rejected. – Marichu Villanueva, Efren Danao