Tourism chief gets Commission on Appointments nod

MANILA, Philippines - Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. was finally confirmed yesterday by the Commission on Appointments (CA), a little over a year after he assumed his post in an acting capacity.

Commission members lauded him for his stint as an advertising executive and for his tourism promotional campaign for the Philippines.

Also confirmed by the CA was retired Court of Appeals justice Aurora Santiago Lagman as a member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) representing the private sector.

Jimenez was widely endorsed by the members of the CA, particularly Senators Franklin Drilon and Joker Arroyo, whose campaign slogans were conceptualized by Jimenez.

Drilon pointed out that it was Jimenez, then an advertising executive, who came up with the senator’s “Big man sa senado” campaign slogan. It was also Jimenez who conceived of the “Pag bad ka lagot ka” campaign slogan of Arroyo.

Arroyo said that Jimenez should not be judged by his previous work but by what he is currently doing at the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Arroyo said Jimenez’s performance as DOTC chief is “very good.”

Although generally known for his clean record, Jimenez has a pending case with the Office of the Ombudsman, according to Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte Sr.

But Jimenez said it was a disgruntled former employee of Duty Free Philippines who filed the case and that he was merely a nominal respondent, being a former chairman of the company.

Jimenez said his lawyers were working to have his name dropped as respondent in the case.

He took over the leadership of the DOT on Sept. 1 last year but only in an acting capacity since Congress was in session then, and as such no ad interim appointment could be issued by the President.

Before the CA voted to confirm him, Jimenez was asked by Alagad party list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta about his views on the reproductive health bill. Jimenez expressed his support for the measure.

While Jimenez had no trouble during yesterday’s confirmation hearing, Lagman did not have the same luxury as members of the CA grilled her on the issue of Malacañang undersecretary for special concerns Michael Musngi’s taking over the seat of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima in the JBC during the interviews with candidates for chief justice last month.

Senators Panfilo Lacson, Arroyo, and Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino and Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong raised the issue of why Musngi was allowed to take over from De Lima even if he was not from the Department of Justice.

Arroyo and Datumanong said the Constitution states that the JBC shall have among its members the secretary of justice.

Lagman said that she had relayed to her colleagues in the JBC her position that the membership of the secretary of justice as well as the chief justice was as ex-officio or by virtue of their position and that any substitution must be from their respective offices.

She said JBC members did not contest Malacañang’s decision to designate Musngi as De Lima’s replacement representing the executive branch.

Antonino initially opposed the immediate confirmation of Lagman because of the issue of Musngi but eventually relented.

Villafuerte said JBC members should discuss the issue among themselves.

Datumanong said that Lagman should not be faulted for a decision that was made by the JBC as a body.

Lagman was initially appointed as a member of the JBC in 2008 and was reappointed by President Aquino for a fresh four-year term ending in 2016.