CA confirms appointment of 4 new envoys

The Commission on Appointments has given its consent to the nominations of four new ambassadors, the office of Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas said.

Gullas, head of the House contingent to the CA, said the appointments of 28 other diplomats – three chiefs of mission, eight career ministers and 17 foreign officers — also got the appointment body’s nod. The newly appointed ambassadors are: • Enrique Manalo, who will assume the ambassadorship to Belgium, Luxembourg, the Commission of the European Communities, and the Council of the European Union; • Jesus Yabes, ambassador to Pakistan with concurrent jurisdiction over Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan , and Tajikistan; • Mario de Leon, ambassador to South Africa, with concurrent jurisdiction over Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; and • Jerril Santos, ambassador to Vietnam. Under the Philippine Constitution, the CA will give the consent to key presidential appointments as part of the institutional checks and balances. Aside from ambassadors and other foreign service workers, appointments that require the CA’s consent include department heads, military officers – from the rank of colonel or naval captain and up – and constitutional commission heads and members. - GMANews.TV