Old charge blocks Bunye confirmation

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye would have been confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday were it not for a 14-year-old graft complaint that remained unacted upon by the Ombudsman.

Bunye told The STAR that he would have been confirmed along with Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and 21 military officers when the CA convened the other day.

But Bunye said he was not able to submit a clearance from the Office of the Ombudsman because of a graft case that was filed against him when he was still Muntinlupa City mayor.

Bunye said he only found out about the graft case against him when he asked for a clearance from the Ombudsman who had apparently "forgotten" about the case.

While Bunye did not identify who filed the case against him, he noted that the complainant had not even bothered to follow up on the case over the past 14 years and the Ombudsman did not even bother to dismiss it in the absence of a complainant.

"The case was not dismissed so it still appeared on my record," Bunye said, adding however that acting Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio has finally dismissed the case.

Bunye said that even Senate President Franklin Drilon, who chairs the bicameral CA, said that his confirmation would have been endorsed were it not for the absence of the Ombudsman clearance.

"You have no problem (with the CA) because that’s a job that nobody wants," Bunye quoted Drilon as saying, noting that the press secretary is not usually a controversial appointment.

Bunye’s confirmation, CA members said, would not be similar to the case of former press secretary Rigoberto Tiglao who refused to submit himself to the grilling of the CA after he made enemies of opposition lawmakers, like Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Besides, Bunye is also a former congressman and would not likely draw any objection from the House panel in the CA.

Since Congress adjourns today for a two-week recess, President Arroyo is expected to issue a new ad interim appointments to Bunye and two other Cabinet members who have also not been confirmed by the CA – Foreign Secretary Blas Ople and Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin.

Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) head Secretary Gabriel Claudio told The STAR the Palace expects no problem with the confirmation of the three Cabinet members when Congress resumes session on Sept. 30.

Claudio said he will transmit the ad interim appointments to the CA along with the papers of other presidential appointees, like the appointments of Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners Benjamin Abalos, Resurreccion Borra and Florentino Tuason and Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairwoman Karina David.