CA set to review appointments of four Cabinet officials

The fate of four presidential appointees hangs in the balance as the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) has scheduled its hearings within the week before Congress adjourns on June 10.

Notices have been sent to the various committees of the CA to work out the schedule of confirmation hearings of the four Cabinet officials.

The lawmakers comprising the CA are to act on the appointments of Environment Secretary Michael Defensor, Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Romulo Neri.

The appropriate committees reviewing the papers of the four Cabinet officials have been notified to discuss –either to confirm or reject – their appointments, Senate President and CA chairman Franklin Drilon said.

Drilon called on CA members for a caucus on Wednesday in a bid to confirm Defensor’s appointment, which had been submitted for final approval by the appropriate committee.

Neri, on the other hand, is scheduled to appear for the CA hearing today for his ad interim appointment as NEDA chief.

Reyes, meanwhile, is scheduled for another confirmation hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

Reyes is expected to face grilling from Sen. Sergio Osmeña III over the modernization fund of the Armed Forces, the report made by the Commission on Audit, and individuals objecting to his appointment.

Gonzalez was also scheduled for Tuesday but his appointment is being blocked by Sen. Panfilo Lacson following the "threatening" statements made by the justice secretary against self-confessed jueteng operator Wilfredo Mayor.

Mayor appeared before the Senate as a witness linking President Arroyo’s son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo in jueteng payoffs.

Among those who had opposed Reyes’ confirmation are one Jonathan Tiongco, Tyrone "Dawud" Santos — a Muslim linked by Reyes’ anti-terrorism task force in alleged involvement in terrorism — and a certain Maryam Deladia.

The CA, however, doubted Tiongco’s credibility after finding he had several criminal records.

The CA committee on interior and local government will hold one more confirmation hearing on Tuesday over Reyes’ ad interim appointment.

CA sources revealed Reyes’ confirmation appeared inevitable since a majority of the CA members had already grilled him.

But Tiongco and the others who had opposed the confirmation of Reyes had asked the Supreme Court to stop the CA in its deliberations over the appointments of other Cabinet members.

Tiongco, along with Eduardo Arabit, filed a seven-page petition before the Supreme Court to advise Drilon and other members of the CA against confirming Reyes.

They claimed the senators have been biased in conducting the confirmation hearings of Cabinet appointees, particularly favoring Reyes.

Tiongco said the CA members committed slander and libel to discredit them when they opposed Reyes’ appointment.

Aside from Reyes, the CA is also expected to give way to the appointment of Defensor.

Sources added the confirmation will come on June 8, two days before Congress goes on sine die adjournment.

The CA committee on environment and natural resources chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon has endorsed the confirmation of Defensor some two weeks ago but Osmeña opposed the move.

Several other Senate committees are also expected to wrap up their hearings or continue these within the week, before going into recess. — With Jose Rodel Clapano