Palace says it respects CA power after Duterte appointees bypassed

Malacanang said Thursday it respects the power vested upon the Commission on Appointments (CA) to confirm appointments following the bypass of President Rodrigo Duterte's hand-picked officials in constitutional commissions.

"We recognize the power vested by the Constitution in the Commission on Appointments," acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said in a statement.

"We further respect its authority to confirm appointments made by the President," he added.

 The Palace official issued the statement after CA failed to confirm the appointments of Rizalina Noval Justol as Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson, Karlo Alexei Nograles as Civil Service Commission chairperson, Saidamen Pangarungan as Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson and Aimee Torrefranca-Neri and George Erwin Garcia as Comelec Commissioners.

The CA, composed of members of the House of Representative and the Senate, was not able to proceed with the confirmation hearing due to lack of quorum.

Earlier, Senate Majority Leader and CA member Juan Miguel Zubiri disclosed that people from the camp of President-elect Bongbong Marcos had asked the comfirmation body to give the incoming president a free hand in appointing officials to the abovementioned offices rather than stick with Duterte appointees.—LDF, GMA News