Miriam withdraws objection to DepEd chief's nomination

Saying it was "a gesture of courtesy to the incumbent administration," Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Wednesday formally withdrew her objection to the nomination of Bro. Armin Luistro as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd). In a letter to Commission on Appointments (CA) education committee head Sen. Edgardo Angara, Santiago said she and Luistro had engaged in a "fruitful dialogue" and that they have "cordially agreed to disagree." "I am persuaded by his good faith, and I have to abide by the basic principle that any presumption should be resolved in favor of the nominee, as a gesture of courtesy to the incumbent administration," Santiago said. Santiago had earlier objected to the confirmation of Luistro because of "conflicting interests, gross ignorance of the law, and political deafness." She even threatened to invoke Chapter IV, Section 20 of the CA rules in blocking Luistro's confirmation if he fails to satisfactorily answer the allegations made against him. Section 20 of the CA rules states that any member of the commission may move for the suspension of any nomination or appointment favorably recommended by a standing committee. Aside from Luistro, she also threatened to massacre more "lightweight" Cabinet members when they face the CA. 'Observe compassion' Later on, however, Santiago said will heed the advice of the Dalai Lama to "observe compassion" in deciding whether to invoke her "one-person veto" during the confirmation proceedings of certain Cabinet members. "I shall save my fire power, keep my power dry, and fight another day," she said in her letter to Angara on Wednesday. As of posting time, the CA education committee was still questioning Luistro over the proposed K-12 program. Only Luistro's and Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras' nominations have been heard by the CA. The commission plans to call back Almendras amid hanging questions posed to him by some lawmakers. It will also hear the nomination of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim later in the day. 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 1987 Constitution is to confirm appointments made by the President of the Philippines: the heads of the executive departments, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, or officers of the Amed Forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, 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. — RSJ, GMANews.TV