Puno, Melo hurdle CA committee level

MANILA, Philippines –  After two years, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno got the nod of the local government committee of the Commission on Appointments (CA) yesterday.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, CA committee on local government chairman, endorsed Puno’s nomination before the plenary session of the bicameral body set for today.

Puno received his ad interim appointment as DILG secretary from President Arroyo in February 2006.

He also played a major role in Mrs. Arroyo’s move to pardon ousted President Joseph Estrada last year.

The appointment of Commission on Elections chairman Jose Melo was also endorsed by the committee led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano for approval before the plenary.

Melo and Puno are expected to join Budget Secretary  Rolando Andaya, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves before the plenary today.

A total of 10 members of the CA panel endorsed Puno’s appointment.

However, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and CIBAC Rep. Joel Villanueva opposed it.

Puno breezed through the CA committee hearings despite opposition from former Bulacan governor Josephine dela Cruz and engineer Darwin Reci.

Dela Cruz and Biazon questioned the apparent use of the DILG’s authority on the transfer and designation of police chiefs during the 2007 elections.

Biazon wanted answers from Puno on why Muntinlupa had three police chiefs during the campaign period in May last year.

His son, Rep. Ruffy Biazon, was then seeking re-election.

Dela Cruz assailed Puno’s integrity and his apparent abuse of power over the designation of Superintendent Asher Dolina as Bulacan police provincial director without clearance from local officials.

In response, Puno said he was not directly involved in the appointment of police officers because it is upon the discretion of the Philippine National Police chief and the Commission on Elections during the election period.

Reci complained about the “arrest” of his brother, Police Officer 1 Deris Reci, sometime in 2005.

In response, Puno said the incident did not happen under his watch.

However, Puno vowed to look into engineer Reci’s complaint that his brother was beaten up by inmates at the Bicutan jail on Nov. 2, 2007.

Reci told the committee that his brother was not accorded proper medical treatment.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson vouched for Puno’s integrity based on his personal experience.

“The secretary never interfered in any of the appointments in the PNP,” he said.

Puno was DILG secretary when Lacson was national police chief during the Estrada administration.