The powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) today (June 1) bypassed the appointments of five nominees of the Duterte administration to three constitutional commissions and offices.
The bypass came after Senator Cynthia A. Villar, chairwoman of the CA constitutional commissions and offices committee, adjourned her public hearing after determining that there was no quorum.
The purpose of the public hearing is for the committee to determine their fitness to hold key government positions.
There were only five CA members who attended it physically and three attended it online. There are 15 members of the committee which has a chairman and one vice chairman.
The bypass came hours before the Senate and the House of Representatives are scheduled to adjourn sine die late today.
One of the five is Rizalina Novel Justol as COA chairman vice Michael G. Aguinaldo. Her term is supposed to end until February 2, 2029.
The four others are Karlo Alexei Bendigo Nograles, as CSC chairman vice Alicia dela Rosa-Bala with a term ending February 2, 2029; Saidamen Pangarungan as chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) until February 2, 2029 vice Sheriff M. Abas; Aimee S. Torrefranca-Neri as Comelec commissioner until February 2, 2029 vice Rowena Amelia V. Guazon; and George Erwin M. Garcia, as Comelec commissioner until February 2, 2020 vice Antonio T, Kho.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III asked the committee to act on those who have no opposites.
There are no oppositors to the appointments of Justol, Nograles and Garcia but Pangarungan and Neri have.
Pimentel pointed out that Justol was appointed last February 17 just before Congress went on a three-month recess because of the political campaign leading to the May 9, 2022 elections.
Nograles is a valedictorian, he added.
To act on those without oppositors, according to Zubiri, would be unfair to the other appointees.
He had wanted the CA to bypass the five to allow the incoming Marcos administration a free hand in naming its own nominees.
Those bypassed by the CA could be re-appointed if the next administration likes to.
Senator Christopher Go told the committee that he would have voted for the confirmation of the appointments of the five had it recommended for their confirmation.