Drilon convenes CA to deliberate on bypassed Cabinet appointees

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon convened yesterday the Commission on Appointments (CA) to prepare for deliberations on the ad interim appointments of the four Cabinet members bypassed in the last Congress.

Drilon, concurrent CA chairman, defended President Aquino’s reappointment of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, saying there is no limitation on the President’s constitutional power to reappoint officials.

The CA has not confirmed De Lima and Soliman since Aquino appointed them in 2010.

Drilon said the CA would schedule the confirmation hearings of the four Cabinet members by September.

He said he also sees no impediment to the confirmation of career officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs as well as the promotion of military officers.

“We will start working on the nominees. Unfortunately, we have two holidays in the coming week so in the last Wednesday of August, we hope to be able to confirm the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and a few other officers of the Armed Forces and the ambassadors whose nominations are before the commission,” he said.

No impact

Meanwhile, Malacañang said failure to get the CA nod would not have an impact on the job of De Lima and the investigation into the pork barrel scam.

“She has not been confirmed for the longest time so she will do her job in spite of the fact that she’s not been confirmed. For the longest time, she has continuously done her job regardless of who gets affected, or who’s involved,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Lacierda said De Lima would “do her job based on the instructions of the President and the instructions are to investigate wherever the evidence leads.”

Lacierda said De Lima, Paje, Petilla and Soliman are ready to answer all concerns raised against them.

“If the legislators feel that there are questions to be asked from the Cabinet secretaries, they are free to ask and the secretaries will be ready to attend and to entertain all their questions,” he said.

“We are certain that our Cabinet officials, those who are yet to be confirmed, have continuously done their job magnificently and performed to the best of their abilities,” he added. – With Aurea Calica