The powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, November 23 confirmed the appointments of former Chief Justice Lucas Purugganan Bersamin as Executive Secretary and Benjamin Estoista Diokno as Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary.
The confirmation followed public hearings on the fitness of the nominees to hold sensitive government positions by the CA committees.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda asked for the speedy approval of the ad interim appointment of Bersamin as Executive Secretary of the Office of the President during the hybrid hearing of the Commission.
Legarda said Bersamin has her "complete and unequivocal support" because of his experience and character.
"With all the problems in the country that the Executive Secretary, known as the Little President, has to handle, having been the Chief Justice of our land with such esteemed vision and character, there is no need to delay, nothing to investigate with Chief Justice Bersamin as Executive Secretary," she added.
Bersamin was recommended for confirmation by Representative Manuel Sagarbarria, chairman of the CA committee on Executive Secretary and Presidential Communications Offices of the Office of the President, and the Philippine Space Agency.
Diokno, former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor and former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) secretary, was recommended for confirmation by Senator Imee Marcos as chairperson of the CA finance committee.
Their confirmation was announced by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, concurrent CA chairman, when he banged the gavel this afternoon.
‘’But even if he did not become a priest,’’ Senator Francis Tolentino said, ‘’Bersamin has indicated his desire to be a ‘’healing justice.’’
Pangasinan Representative Ramon Guico, head of the House of Representatives panel to the CA, said Bersamin would be an asset to the Marcos administration.
Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel said Bersamin’s integrity is behind reproach, has an unblemished record after four decades in the Judiciary and thanked him for his continued stay in government service.
As head of the House minority group, Pimentel interposed no objection to the confirmation of former Supreme Court justice as Executive Secretary.
On the part of the House majority group, Congressman Luis Raymund Villafuerte, CA majority leader said they favored Bersamin’s confirmation.
During the committee hearing, Senator Marcos questioned the slow roll out of appointments to key positions in various government agencies such as at the Department of Health (DOH) and other priority areas by Malacanang.
Marcos also asked Bersamin on how this administration intended to address the matter since there are several positions that have been on hold over capacity until December 31, 2022.
“I am certain that you can get a handle on this situation but it is almost half a year now and the people expect a level of urgency and commitment to filling up all these positions, some of them are very high and of urgent priority,” Marcos said.
“I believe that the executive secretary is well qualified and I endorse his appointment,” she added.
In response, Bersamin said the matter is being carefully studied by his office and trying to put everything into proper order.
Taking the floor during the CA plenary session as chairperson of the finance committee to recommend Diokno’s confirmation, Marcos said: ‘’The global economic devastation following in the wake of the Covid pandemic today demands the most committed and tested of men which certainly our Secretary of Finance Diokno is’’.
‘’With his qualification and experience and character we are certain he will be more than up to the task, she said, adding that Diokno had his PH in economics in Syracuse University in 1981.
In his opening statement during the committee hearing, Diokno said he would continue to serve the Filipino to the best of his ability.
Asked about the mounting public debt, Diokno said the public debt is manageable.
It is not a concern, he added.
‘’Let us not despair. Let us not give up,’’ he stressed when grilled by Representative Rodante Marcoleta.
Upon questioning by Pimentel, Diokno said he earned the sobriquet ‘’Mr. Horrible’’ because his management style is Russian where everything is rushed.
‘’I sleep in the office,’’ he added.