Executive Secretary Ochoa gets CA nod

The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday unanimously approved the appointment of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa. The CA made the approval after the CA committee on government corporations and other offices unanimously recommended Ochoa’s confirmation earlier in the day. No formal opposition was made against Ochoa's appointment during the hearing that lasted for less than 10 minutes. Even Senator Joker Arroyo, a staunch critic of President Benigno Aquino III's Cabinet, supported Ochoa. Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Rosendo Labadlabad, who sponsored Ochoa's appointment, said the executive secretary's long years of public service prove his professional competence and management expertise. "We are therefore confident that he will prove equal to the challenges confronting the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Executive Secretary," he said during the plenary session. Ochoa thanked the members of the CA for allowing his easy passage through the commission, saying his confirmation was a sign of support for the Aquino administration. "It's not me personally but what they did today is significant in the sense that they have supported the action of the President in so far as my appointment is concerned," he said. The CA earlier confirmed the appointments of Trade Sec. Gregory Domingo, Energy Sec. Jose Rene Almendras, Education Sec. Armin Luistro, Tourism Sec. Alberto Lim, Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala, and Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson. On the other hand, the confirmation of Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin and Health Sec. Enrique Ona were deferred because of pending questions by some lawmakers. The CA is composed of the Senate president as its head, 12 senators and 12 House representatives as the commission's members. Based on the Constitution, the CA's duty 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. — KBK/LBG, GMANews.TV