Cabinet officials' confirmation by CA assured

MANILA, Philippines - The appointments of five Cabinet members and the new Armed Forces and Commission on Elections chiefs are ensured in Wednesday's plenary hearing of the Commission on Appointments (CA). Under the CA rules, objections to certain appointments can no longer be invoked at the last plenary session. Today’s plenary meeting will be the commission’s last for the first regular session of Congress, which adjourns today. Up for confirmation are secretaries Raul M. Gonzalez (Justice), Margarito B. Teves (Finance), Rolando G. Andaya, Jr. (Budget), Ronaldo V. Puno (Interior and Local Government) and Francisco T. Duque III (Health), and Gen. Alexander B. Yano. Also for confirmation are several foreign service and military officials. Earlier Tuesday, the committee on interior and local government, regional consultative commissions and regional autonomous governments cleared the appointment of Mr. Puno. The committee on constitutional commissions and offices also endorsed the confirmation of elections commission Chairman Jose Armando R. Melo. The committee on national defense, chaired by Isabela Rep. Rodolfo T. Albano III (1st district), has endorsed the confirmation of one general and two senior military officials. In the diplomatic corps, four ambassadors and 15 officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs have been recommended for plenary action by the committee on foreign affairs. The Cabinet members who have been confirmed were Nasser C. Pangandaman (Agrarian Reform), Peter B. Favila (Trade and Industry), Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. (National Defense), Esperanza I. Cabral (Social Welfare and Development), Arthur C. Yap (Agriculture), and Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. (Public Works and Highways). Still up for approval in the committee level are Jose L. Atienza, Jr. (Environment and Natural Resources), Angelo T. Reyes (Energy) and Marianito S. Roque (Labor and Employment). In March, Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" A. S. Madrigal deferred the confirmation of 24 military officials, saying members of the body should act on her pending motion to block the confirmation of Brig. General Nestor R. Sadiarin, who was involved in a political survey among military officers and had a pending perjury case. - Bernard U. Allauigan, BusinessWorld