CA review of confirmation process sought amid AFP corruption scandal

Senator Franklin Drilon on Wednesday asked the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) to revisit the confirmation process in the wake of accusations of corruption involving ranking military officials. Drilon gave the suggestion during the CA defense committee’s hearing on the appointment of 90 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). “Sa akin po may pagkukulang kami doon po sa aming trabaho na tingnan ang fitness and qualification ng mga kagaya ni General Garcia, General Ligot (In my opinion, we erred in measuring the fitness and qualifications of military officials like Gen. Garcia and Gen. Ligot)," he told reporters in an interview after the hearing. The CA is constitutionally mandated to confirm all appointments made by the President of the Philippines, except those of the Ombudsman and Supreme Court Justices. It discusses and deliberates on the nominations at the standing committee level and at the plenary session. Nominations or appointments may end up being confirmed, rejected, or bypassed. Both Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot are accused of amassing millions of pesos in military funds during their respective stints as AFP comptroller. To avoid confirming the appointments of such military officers, Drilon said there is a need to review the capacity of the CA secretariat to investigate and obtain information on the fitness and qualifications of the nominees. “We just have to be more diligent in our efforts, in the performance of our duties," he said. According to him, the only documents they require from nominees are the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), Income Tax Return (ITR), medical certificate and some background information from the secretariat. Drilon said they should also look into whether they have pending cases with the Office of the Ombudsman or any similar court and also assess the evidence that was presented against them. “We should look at the evidence and find our whether or not there is basis to raise issues on (their) fitness and qualifications," he said. Drilon said they may tackle his proposal during their plenary session so that the rules will be adopted for the whole commission and not just for the defense panel. The CA is composed of the Senate president as its head and 12 senators and 12 congressmen as its members. - KBK, GMA News