Vince Dizon gets CA nod as DOTr chief

The Commission on Appointments (CA) approved Wednesday the ad interim appointment of Vince Dizon as Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). 

This came after the bicameral body's Committee on Transportation endorsed to the plenary the confirmation of Dizon’s ad interim appointment. The motion was quickly approved by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. 

On Tuesday, CA panel chairperson Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla approved the motion of CA Majority Floor Leader Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. to recommend to the plenary the DOTr chief’s nomination.

Dizon was the former president of Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), then-deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, and former presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects.

He replaced former Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

Aside from Dizon, the ad interim appointments of 86 generals, flag officers, and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were also approved by the CA on Wednesday.

The CA also agreed to the ad interim appointments of Civil Service Commission (CSC) commissioner Luis Meinrado Pañgulayan, and Commission on Audit (COA) commissioner  Douglas Michael Mallillin. 

The CSC on Thursday congratulated Pañgulayan on his CA confirmation, which the commission said highlights his “qualifications, impressive track record, and insightful contributions to public sector personnel administration.” 

Before being appointed as CSC commissioner, Pañgulayan served as Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) undersecretary for policy, planning, and research, and Career Executive Service Board director for appointments. 

Due to lack of material time, a CA panel had to suspend the consideration of the ad-interim appointments of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioners Ma. Norina Tangaro-Casingal and Noli Pipo.  — RSJ, GMA Integrated News