New DILG chief, Comelec chairman get CA nod

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed on Tuesday Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new Interior secretary and Andres Bautista as chair of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The CA committee on interior and local government, regional consultative commissions and regional autonomous region deliberated and approved Sarmiento's nomination within only fifteen minutes.

Sarmiento was a member of the CA at the time of his confirmation.

Meanwhile, three members of the CA committee on constitutional commission and offices deliberations opposed Bautista's interim appointment. However, he was still confirmed by all of the CA members at the plenary session.

According to CA chair and Senate President Franklin Drilon, the commission hurried up confirmation of Bautista since they "wanted to provide stability to the Comelec."

"Because Comelec will be performing a very crucial function in the next eight months or so, and therefore, we need stability and stable leadership in the commission," Drilon added.

Bautista was a member of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, non-profit organization that serves as a watchdog in Philippine elections, from 2006 to 2015, and the chair of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) before he was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III.

As the youngest head of the PCGG, Bautista filed several cases which include a P99-million plunder suit against former Bataan and Engineering Company (Baseco) chair Proceso Maligalig.

Maligalig in turn filed a case against Bautista before the Office of the Ombudsman, which dismissed it twice.

Maligalig was among the opponents of Bautista's appointment along with LinLin Ilusono Bildner and Jose Maria Ozamiz.

Both Sarmiento and Bautista were grateful for the CA's nod.

Sarmiento, who replaced Sec. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, thanked his colleagues for his confirmation. He vowed to work hard and closely coordinate with the leadership of the Philippine National Police to improve and promote the peace and order within the country.

"The work of the DILG is like the job of a mayor," Sarmiento, also former mayor of Calbayog City and former president of the League Cities of the Philippines, said.

The 51-year-old Bautista was the youngest to be appointed Comelec chair replacing retired Sixto Brillantes.

Bautista also thanked CA for his confirmation and vowed to accomplish the agency's mandate to uphold credible elections within his term that will expire by Feb. 2, 2022.

"Now, it's all system go for our preparation for the 2016 elections," Bautista, a lawyer by profession, said in media interviews after his confirmation.

"Credible election is our mantra and also we want to enhance the voting experience because our clients are the voters," he added.

Meanwhile, the CA panel deferred the deliberation on the ad interim appointment of Sheriff Abas as Comelec commissioner based on the request made by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. He wanted to pose a question in the next hearing.