Because of the ongoing canvassing of the votes cast in the May 9, 2022 presidential and vice presidential elections, the hearing by the Commission on Appointments on the fitness of nominees to posts in the Commission on Audit (COA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was reset for a later date.
This came after Representative Joel Mayo Z. Almario, CA Majority Leader, submitted a motion to Senator Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the CA constitutional commissions and offices committee, seeking the postponement of her committee hearing for a later date as requested by three CA members.
The CA members are Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senator Panfilo M. Lacson and Representative Ronaldo B. Zamora, CA vice chairman.
Almario said the reason cited by Zubiri is principally due to his performance of a constitutionally-mandated duty to witness the on-going canvassing by the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) of the votes cast and proclaim the President-elect and Vice President-elect.
Congress leaders expressed hopes that, if there are no hitches, the proclamation might take place today.
The request for the postponement by the Villar committee to determine the fitness of the nominees came after Rizalina Novel Justol had just delivered her opening remarks on why her appointment as COA chairman vice Michael G. Aguinaldo until February 2, 2029 should be confirmed.
Others lined up to appear before the Villar committee, were Karlo Alexei Bendigo Nograles, as CSC chairman vice Alicia dela Rosa-Bala until February 2, 2029; and Saidamen B. Pangarungan, as Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman; George Erwin M. Garciam, as Comelec commissioner; and Aimee S. Torrefranca-Neri as Comelec commissioner.
Earlier, the CA national defense committee cancelled yesterday its committee hearing scheduled today to determine the fitness of 60 General/Flag and senior officers of the AFP.
The CA committees are thus expected to conduct public hearings on the fitness of these nominees to hold government positions and submit their recommendations before the CA plenary session on or before June 1 next week.
The CA is scheduled to hold a plenary session on June 1 to confirm, bypass or reject the appointments of the nominees before it adjourns.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are scheduled to adjourn sine die on June 3.