MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Appointments (CA) has confirmed the nominations of Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairman Alicia dela Rosa-Bala, 11 ambassadors and 77 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Bala, who spent most of her career in the Department of Social Welfare and Development, was deputy secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretariat in Indonesia before being appointed to head the CSC until February 2022.
She replaced Francisco Duque III, whose stint as CSC chairman ended last February.
The appointment of Bala’s colleague, CSC commissioner Nieves Osorio, was deferred upon the request of Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, who informed the CA that he wanted to question her in a future hearing.
Fariñas was not present at yesterday’s hearings as he was still mourning the death of his son, who was killed in a vehicular accident last month.
Also confirmed by the CA yesterday were 11 ambassadors, who were either assigned to new posts or given additional jurisdictions.
The new envoys include Jesus Domingo, New Zealand with concurrent jurisdiction over Fiji, Tonga and Samoa; Minda Cruz, Australia with concurrent jurisdiction over Nauru, Vanuatu and Tuvalu; Noel Eugene Servigon, Vietnam; Eduardo Jose de Vega, Mexico with concurrent jurisdiction over Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic and Cuba; Evan Garcia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with concurrent jurisdiction over Ireland, the Isle of Man, Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey.
The following ambassadors were given new jurisdictions on top of their existing assignments: Carlos Sorreta, Russian Federation with concurrent jurisdiction over Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan; Maria Fe Pangilinan, Hungary with concurrent jurisdiction over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova; Joseph Gerard Angeles, South Africa with concurrent jurisdiction over Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe Madagascar and Mauritius; Philippe Lhuillier, Portugal with concurrent jurisdiction over Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and Angola; Jose Burgos, Brazil with concurrent jurisdiction over Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela; Jose Cuisia Jr., United States with concurrent jurisdiction over US Virgin Islands, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia.
Also confirmed were the appointments of Eleanor Jaucian as chief of mission, class 1; Emma Sarne, career minister; Eric Aquino, foreign service officer, class 1; Lenna Eileen de Dios-Sison, foreign service officer, class 1; and Bryan Jess Baguio, foreign service office, class 2.
In a separate hearing, the CA also confirmed the appointment of Maria Milagros Fernan-Cayosa as a member of the Judicial and Bar Council, representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
For the AFP, the CA confirmed the promotions of senior officers.
To the rank of major general: Andre Costales Jr., Guillermo Molina Jr., Rodolfo Santiago and Elmer Pabale.
Brigadier generals Archimedes Viaje, Maximo Ballesteros, Alvin Parreño, Arleen Gorreon, Diosdado Respecio, Romeo de la Cruz, Raul Farnacio, Demy Tejares, Rafael Sera Jose, Rhoderick Parayno, Harold Cabreros and Alvin Francis Javier.
Commodores Rene Medina, Robert Empedrad, Jande Francisco and Gaudencio Collado Jr.
Colonels Joselito Lopena, Sofronio Marquez Jr., William Peñafiel Jr., Angel Madarang, Abe Arenga, Milton Beset, Anthony Cacayuran, Romulus Joseph Canieso, Eduardo Gubat, Jesus Rico Atencio, Joselyn Bandarlipe, Gilmar Galicia, Christopher Calulot, Michael Samson, Ferdinand Barandon, Noel Baluyan, Jovencio Gonzales, Leonel Nicolas, Noel Detoyato, Rogelio Ulanday, Vincent Iringan, Noe Alberto Peñafiel, Febie Lamerez, Victor Tanggawohn Jr., Alexis Noel Bravo, Leandro Abeleda III, Rogelio Percol, Potenciano Camba, Cornelio Arboleda, Nolie Anquillano, Haroun-Al-Rashi Jaji, Georgie Domingo, Irineo Sebastian, Oliver Maquiling, Rodrigo Sosmeña, Agustin Ganaden, Robert Dancel, Faisal Nawang, Neneveigh Alcovindas, Emmanuel Garcia, Eduardo Dalit, Miguel Hortelano, Edgar Yerro, Jose Clet, Edwin Ureta, Edgar Pulohanan, Arturo Asiñero, Juan Jancilan, Danilo Detalla, Royland Orquia and Joeni Salvador Lopez.