CA defers confirmation of Cabinet members

The Commission on Appointments (CA) has deferred the confirmation of the appointments of President Benigno Aquino's Cabinet members until Congress assumes session in November, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Wednesday. Enrile, who chairs the commission, said that they did not have enough time to conduct hearings on the appointments of the Cabinet members before the three-week break of Congress. "There must be a public hearing... hindi naman kasalanan ng Cabinet members yun (it's not the fault of the cabinet members)," Enrile told reporters in an interview on Wednesday. He also said that there are still Cabinet appointees who haven't completed their documentary requirements. After submission, he said each nomination still has to be published and a public hearing must be conducted. But Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, who is also a CA member, explained that the appointees were not bypassed. "Ang nagiging automatic bypass yung pagdating ng June ay di napapasa, di nacoconfirm... kasi ang bypass kapag adjourned sine die," Sotto said in a separate interview on Wednesday. (An automatic bypass only happens when they are not confirmed before June, when Congress adjourns sine die.) Enrile added that being bypassed means you have to be reappointed by the President and submitted again for confirmation, which is not the case with Aquino's appointees—or at least not yet. On Wednesday, the CA confirmed the appointment of one ambassador and the ad interim appointments of 15 chiefs of mission; 14 career ministers; 30 foreign service officers;10 Army brigadier generals; one Navy commodore; 66 Army colonels; nine Navy colonels; and 11 Navy captains. The CA is composed of the Senate president as its head and 12 senators and 12 congressmen as its members. The commission’s duty as mandated by the Constitution is to confirm all appointments made by the President of the Philippines, except those of the Ombudsman and Supreme Court Justices. The CA discusses and deliberates on nominations at the standing committee level and at the plenary session. Nominations or appointments may end up being confirmed, rejected or bypassed.—Kimberly Jane T. Tan/JV, GMANews.TV