CA OKs 16 envoys, 49 AFP officers; ISAFP chief bypassed

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Appointment has confirmed the nominations of 16 ambassadors and 49 senior officers of the AFP led by chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista.

Only Brig. Gen. Eduardo Año, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), failed to secure the nod of the CA for his promotion.

Año’s promotion was opposed by Edita Burgos, mother of activist Jonas Burgos, who has been missing since April 28, 2007.

Burgos said that she was convinced that Año had a direct hand in the alleged abduction of her son when he was still the head of the Intelligence Security Group (ISG) of the AFP.

In a statement he read before the CA yesterday, Año belied all of the allegations of Burgos.

Año said he has already responded to the complaint of Burgos before the Department of Justice, the resolution of which he expects will come out soon.

“In the five years since the reports of the disappearance of Jonas Burgos came out, official and formal investigations were conducted by the CIDG, NBI and CHR. In all those investigations, my name was never mentioned and even the ISG which I headed in 2007,” Año said in Filipino.

He pointed out that a resolution was issued by the Court of Appeals in July 17, 2009, dismissing the writ of habeas corpus and writ of amparo petitions filed by Burgos.

Burgos appealed the ruling and in subsequent investigations conducted by the Commission on Human Rights, Año said that again his name was never mentioned.

“I reiterate that I have no involvement whatsoever in the Burgos case. I don’t even know him or heard his name when I was head of the ISG,” Año stressed.

“I have never been involved in any case, much more human rights violations, because I value the rights and lives of every person. I have never been accused nor implicated in any wrongdoing or misconduct in the 34 years of my military service,” he said.

“While I am not callous to the predicament of Mrs. Burgos for the disappearance of her son, it is unjust and unfair to accuse an innocent person like me, much more to oppose my confirmation to the rank of brigadier general of the AFP,” he added.

Año’s confirmation was deferred for the second time because of a written request by Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, CA member, to ask some questions.

Capiz Rep. Antonio del Rosario, chairman of the committee on national defense of the CA, agreed to defer the consideration of Año’s promotion until the next hearing when Osmeña is ready to ask his questions.

General faced opposition over Morong 43 case

Before Año, Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad also faced oppositions to his promotion coming from Alexis Montes and Eleanor Jara.

Montes claimed that Baladad had first-hand knowledge of the detention and torture of his group of health workers dubbed as the Morong 43.

The Morong 43 were supposedly medical and health care professionals who were said to be undergoing training in Morong, Rizal when they were arrested because of their alleged involvement with the communist New People’s Army.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said that Montes’ claims against Baladad were apparently based on speculations only and could not be used as basis to destroy the illustrious career of the military officer.

With the dismissal of the complaints of Montes and Jara, Baladad’s promotion was confirmed.

Nominations of 16 ambassadors confirmed

In a separate hearing held by the committee on foreign affairs of the CA chaired by Sen.Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the nominations and ad interim appointments of 16 ambassadors and two other foreign service officers were confirmed.

Confirmed were Ambassadors Rowena Sanchez, Turkey; Ma. Theresa Lazaro, France; Victoriano Lecaros, Czech Republic; Cecilia Rebong, United Nations in Geneva; Jaime Victor Ledda, Netherlands; Narciso Castañeda, Oman; Eduardo Martin Meñez, Iran; Edsel Barba, Iraq; Vicente Bandillo, Bangladesh; Catalino Dilem, the United Mexican States; Jose Cuisia, United States; Eleanor Jaucian, Hungary; Enrique Manalo, United Kingdom; Bayani Mercado, Norway; Patricia Ann Paez, Estonia; and George Reyes, United Mexican States.

A former ambassador identified as a certain Hermenegildo Cruz filed an opposition to the nominations of Sanchez, Rebong, Ledda, Dilem, Manalo and Paez, which was immediately dismissed by Santiago.