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THE
Commission on Appointments confirmed on Wednesday the
five top Cabinet officials, including Finance Secretary
Margarito Teves, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, Health
Secretary Francisco Duque, Interior Secretary Ronaldo
Puno and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
In its
last plenary session before adjourning for a month-long
recess, the bicameral body also confirmed the
nominations of Commission on Audit Chairman Reynaldo
Villar and Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Armando
Melo, as well as the promotions of the Armed Forces
chief of staff, Gen. Alexander Yano, and 39 other
ranking military officers.
The CA
also gave its concurrence to the appointments of eight
new ambassadors and 47 foreign service officers,
including: Francisco Benedicto as ambassador to India
with concurrent jurisdiction over Nepal, Noe Wong as
ambassador to Cambodia, Cristina Castañer-Ponce Enrile,
as ambassador to the
Vatican
with the rank of Chief of Mission,
Macarthur Corsino as ambassador to Cuba with concurrent
jurisdiction over the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and
Jamaica, Wilfredo Cuyugan as ambassador to Syria, Minda
Calaguian Cruz as Ambassador to Singapore, Francisco
Ortigas II as ambassador to Mexico with concurrent
jurisdiction over Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; and Arturo
Manuel Lagdameo as ambassador to Spain with concurrent
jurisdiction over the principality of Andorra.
Other
ranking Department of Foreign Affairs officials
confirmed were: Laura del Rosario, George Reyes,
Bahnarim Guinomla and Aladin Villacorte, as chiefs of
mission, Class I;
Laureano
Santiago, Catalino Dilem Jr., Maria Theresa Lazaro,
Mario de Leon Jr., Gilberto Asuque, Claro Cristobal,
Maria Angelina Santa Catalina, Domingo Lucenario Jr.,
Renato Villapando and Maria Teresa Lepatan, as chiefs of
mission, Class II;
Career
Ministers Maria Hellen Barber, Ariel Penaranda, Marichu
Mauro, Medardo Macaraig, Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega,
Maria Andrelita Austria, Kira Christianne
Danganan-Azucena,
Nathaniel Imperial, Alfonso Ver, Jesus Domingo, Renato
Pedro Villa, Irene Susan Natividad, Celeste Balatbat,
Maria Agnes Cervantes, Raul Hernandez, Francisco Noel
Fernandez III, Noralyn Baja, Rosalita Prospero, Edsel
Barba and Daniel Espiritu.
Confirmed as foreign service officer (FSO), Class I (or
consul) were Lillibeth Pono, Edgar Tomas Auxilian, Maria
Lourdes Salcedo, Patrick John Hilado, Josephine Reynante,
Edgard B. Badajos and Henry Bensurto; and FSO Class II
Raul Dado, Kerwin Orville Tate, Gines Jaime Ricardo
Gallaga, Myca Magnolia Fischer, Noel Novico and Leandro
Lachica.
At the
same session, the CA confirmed 29 other Armed Forces
generals and flag officers including: Pedro Ike Inserto,
as lieutenant general; Nehemias Pajarito, Daniel Casabar
Jr., Nicomedes Corpuz Jr., Arsenio Arugay, Rene Badilla,
Jovito Gammad and Juancho M. Sabban, as major generals;
and Jonathan Martir, Honorato Santos, Celedonio Boquiren
Jr., Mohammad Nur Askalani, Gregorio Paduganan, Teddy
Hermano, Mario Butch Lacson, Jovencio Magalso, Danilo
Garcia, Rommel Gomez, Cesar Santos, Jorge Segovia,
Irineo Espino and Joselito Castro as brigadier generals.
Also
confirmed were Commodores Alexander Pama, Joel Babas,
Robert Noblefranca, Adriano Munar Jr., Victor Emmanuel
Martir and Jose Luis Alanol and Colonels Gerry Amante,
Amado Bustillos, Washington Catameo, Jose Tolibas,
Harold Cabreros, Eleazar Castro, Leonardo de la Cruz,
Restituto Padilla Jr., Gregory Cayetano and Conrado
Parra Jr.
The
marathon proceedings were briefly marred by the walkouts
of Sens. Consuelo Madrigal and Panfilo Lacson who raised
separate complaints that CA members opted to set aside
in order to finish the business of the day.
Madrigal
protested the alleged unconstitutional composition of
the 25-member bicameral appointments body and threatened
to go to the Supreme Court to file a “complaint to
nullify all actions made by this anomalous and illegal
Commission on Appointments.”
Lacson,
for his part, left the plenary meeting after contesting
the promotion of Air Force Col. Arturo Abadilla,
insisting that the CA has no jurisdiction over the
nominee because the Executive Department did not extend
the nomination of Abadilla who is scheduled to retire on
December 2. |
