Congress organizes Commission on Appointments

MANILA, Philippines – As Congress organized the 25-man panel of the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) last Wednesday, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the CA cannot scrutinize the credentials of the three acting secretaries appointed by President Aquino.

Three Cabinet officials – Jesse Robredo of the Interior and Local Government, Ramon Paje  of the Environment and Natural Resources and  Labor’s Rosalinda Baldoz – have been appointed as “acting secretaries.”

“Acting secretaries? We cannot resolve that in the CA, because they are on acting capacity,” Enrile said, adding that it is within the President’s prerogative to appoint a person in an acting capacity.

Apart from permanent appointments, Enrile said the CA, as a body, can look into the credentials of ad-interim appointments, which refer to persons who were appointed during every recess of Congress where the President can re-appoint them if they failed to pass CA scrutiny.

Enrile pointed out that Aquino has a “political responsibility to the Filipino people” regarding these appointments.  “His responsibility is to the people and to us. We have separation of powers. We cannot compel him to send the appointment to us,” the Senate president said.

According to Enrile, Congress cannot tell the President to bring to the CA his appointments. If the President abuses his prerogative, Enrile added that the only recourse of Congress is to file an impeachment proceeding against the President.

The CA has elected its set of officers and named the chairmen and vice-chairmen for the committees last Wednesday.

Under the Constitution, Enrile is automatically designated as CA chairman. Named vice chairman was Rep. Roilo Golez while 2nd District Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Rosendo Labadlabad was elected majority leader; Sen. Franklin Drilon, assistant majority leader; Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, minority leader; 2nd District Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, assistant minority leader; retired police general Orvil Gabuna as sergeant-at-arms and Arturo Tui as CA secretary.

The Commission also elected the following chairmen and vice chairmen to the committees:

Accounts

Chairman: Rep. Rosendo Labadlabad, Dist.2, Zamboanga del Norte

Vice Chairman: Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero

Agrarian Reform

Chairman: Sen. Gregorio Honasan II

Agriculture and Food

Chairman: Rep. Erineo Maliksi, Dist. 3, Cavite

Vice Chairman: Sen. Ralph Recto

Budget and Management

Chairman: Sen. Franklin Drilon

Vice Chairman Rep. Erineo Maliksi, Dist. 3, Cavite

Constitutional Commission and Offices

Chairman: Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada

Vice Chairman: Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, PL-Alagad

Education, Culture and Sports

Chairman: Sen. Edgardo Angara

Vice Chairman : Rep. Rex Gatchalian, Dist. 1, Valenzuela

Energy

Chairman: Sen. Sergio Osmena III

Vice Chairman: Rep. Rex Gatchalian, Dist. 1, Valenzuela

Environment and Natural Resources

Chairman: Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero

Vice Chairman: Rep. Pedro Romualdo, Camiguin

Ethics

Chairman: Rep. Erineo Maliksi, Dist. 3, Cavite

Vice Chairman: Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano

Finance

Chairman: Sen. Ralph Recto

Vice Chairman: Rep. Luis Villafuerte, Dist. 3, Camarines Sur

Foreign Affairs

Chairman: Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago

Vice Chairmen: Sen. Edgardo Angara

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero

Rep. Antonio Alvarez, Dist. 1, Palawan

Rep. Luis Villafuerte, Dist. 3, Camarines Sur

Rep. Ferjenel Biron, Dist. 4, Iloilo

Rep. Erineo Maliksi, Dist. 3, Cavite

Government Corporations and Other

Offices

Chairman: Rep. Rosendo Labadlabad, Dist. 2, Zamboanga del Norte

Vice Chairman: Sen. Sergio Osmena III

Health

Chairman: Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla

Vice Chairman: Rep. Ferjenel Biron, Dist. 4, Iloilo

Interior and Local Government, Regional Consultative

Commissions and Regional Autonomous Governments

Chairman: Sen. Vicente Sotto III

Vice Chairman: Rep. Antonio Del Rosario, Dist. 1, Capiz

Justice and Judicial and Bar Council

Chairman: Sen. Joker Arroyo

Vice Chairman: Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, PL Alagad

Labor, Employment and Social Welfare

Chairman: Rep. Luis Villafuerte, Dist. 3, Camarines Sur

Vice Chairman: Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada

National Defense

Chairman: Rep. Antonio Del Rosario, Dist 1, Capiz

Vice Chairmen: Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero

Sen. Ralph Recto

Sen. Gregorio Honasan II

Sen. Edgardo Angara

Rep. Pedro Romualdo, Camiguin

Rep. Antonio Alvarez, Dist. 1, Palawan

Rep. Ferjenel Biron, Dist. 4, Iloilo

Public Works and Highways

Chairman: Rep. Pedro Romualdo, Camiguin

Vice Chairmen: Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla

Rep. Erineo Maliksi, Dist. 3, Cavite

Rules and Resolutions

Chairman: Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, Dist.4, Nueva Ecija

Vice Chairmen: Sen. Franklin Drilon

Sen. Vicente Sotto III

Science and Technology

Chairman: Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, PL Alagad

Vice Chairman: Sen. Edgardo Angara

Tourism and Economic Development

Chairman: Rep. Rex Gatchalian, Dist. 1, Valenzuela

Vice Chairman: Sen. Vicente Sotto III

Trade and Industry Committee

Chairman: Rep. Ferjenel Biron, Dist. 4, Iloilo

Vice Chairman: Sen. Sergio Osmena III

Transportation and Communications

Chairman: Rep. Antonio Alvarez, Dist. 1, Palawan

Vice Chairman: Sen. Ralph Recto.

The CA is a constitutional body that reviews and decides on the qualifications of Cabinet members, diplomats and military officers from the rank of colonel and up. It is composed of the Senate President as ex-officio chairman and 12 members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Members from each house of Congress are elected based on proportional representation from the political parties and parties or organizations registered under the party-list system. –Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)