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THE
Commission on Appointments (CA) announced Sunday that it
is set to conduct hearings at the committee level on the
promotions of 60 senior officers of the Armed Forces and
the nominations of nine new ambassadors.
The
commission’s Committee on National Defense, headed by
Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) Rep. Rodolfo
Albano III of Isabela, will first conduct the hearings
on Tuesday for the appointments of an initial batch of
30 generals, flag officers and other senior military
officers.
Kampi
Rep. Eduardo Gullas of Cebu, head of the 12-member House
contingent to the 25-member bicameral commission where
13 senators also sit, said the following week the same
committee would hear the appointments of another batch
of 30 senior military officers with the rank of colonel,
naval captain and up.
On
October 8, Gullas said the CA’s Committee on Foreign
Affairs, chaired by Sen. Miriam Santiago, would hear the
nominations of the following new ambassadors:
§
Former
senator Orlando Mercado (to China, North Korea and
Mongolia);
§
Rora
Navarro-Tolentino (to France, Monaco and Portugal);
§
Maria
Theresa Lazaro (to Switzerland and Liechtenstein);
§
Elizabeth Buensuceso (to Norway, Denmark and Iceland);
§
Regina Irene Sarmiento (to the Czech Republic);
§
Jocelyn
Batoon-Garcia (to Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago);
§
Vicente
Alejandrino (to Libya, Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania,
Niger and Tunisia);
§
Domingo
Lucenario Jr. (to Kenya, Burundi, Comoros, the two
Congos, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda,
Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda); and
§
Marilyn
Alarilla (to Laos).
Among
the generals and flag officers pending confirmation are
Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez, the Navy flag officer in
command; Lt. Gens. Delfin Bangit, Jaime Buenaflor and
Isagani Cachuela; Maj. Gens. Rolando Capacia, Alfredo
Cayton Jr., Nathaniel Legaspi, Hernanie Perez and Ralph
Villanueva; Brig. Gens. Anthony Alcantara, Dominador
Aquino III, Manuelito Dahan, Jesus Fajardo, Reynard
Ronnie Javier and Delfin Pomposo; Rear Adms. Danilo
Cortez, Roberto Estioko, Ramon Punzalan and Josefino
Solidum; and Com. Oliver Cuevas.
Gullas
said a total of 96 officials are now pending CA
confirmation.
Of the
96, he said 63 are senior military officers while 26 are
high-ranking diplomatic officials, including 13 new
ambassadors.
The
officials whose appointments or reappointments are now
pending CA confirmation also include three Cabinet
members—Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, Energy Secretary
Angelo Reyes and Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr.;
three election commissioners—Leonardo Leonida, Lucenito
Tagle and Moslemen Macarambon; and a member of the
Judicial and Bar Council, retired Court of Appeals
Justice Aurora Santiago-Lagman.
The 1987
Constitution vests the CA with the power to approve or
disapprove presidential appointments. This is part of
the checks and balances established by the Constitution
to ensure that every government department functions in
a manner most beneficial to the public welfare.
Among
those subject to CA confirmation are the heads of
executive departments, ambassadors, other public
ministers and consuls, military officers from the rank
of colonel or naval captain, and the heads and members
of constitutional commissions and offices. (Fernan
Marasigan) |
