The powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed today the appointments of three Cabinet members and 60 ranking Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official led by former DFA Secretary Teodoro Lopez Locsin Jr. as Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain with concurrent jurisdiction over Ireland, Isle of Man, bailiwick of Jersey and bailiwick of Guernsey.
Also confirmed was Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas as Philippine Ambassador to Austria with concurrent over Croatia, Slovenia and Slovak Republic, and Jaime Adriano Florcruz as Philippine Ambassador to China with concurrent jurisdiction over Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Mongolia.
Arroyo-Bernas is the daughter of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The three Cabinet officials confirmed in the CA’s plenary session presided by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, concurrent CA chairman, were Raphael Lotilla as Department of Energy (DOE) secretary, Renato Solidum Jr. as Department of Science and Technology (DOST) secretary, and Ivan John Enrile Uy as Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary.
As the CA committees worked under time pressure because Congress is expected to go on a Christmas break late next week, the public hearing on on Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Jimenez Bautista was suspended.
After three hearings, the CA committee on energy finally approved the ad interim appointment of Lotilla .
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda described Lotilla as highly competent, low profile with no trace of corruption.
Before the CA committee approval, Legarda, who presided over the hearings, disclosed that SAGIP Rep. Rodante Marcoleta previously requested that the deliberations on Lotilla's appointment be conducted next year.
But Legarda said she and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri "earnestly spoke" with Marcoleta and the contingents from the House of Representatives to proceed with the confirmation
"(We spoke with them) realizing the urgency of the task at hand that you must be able to do your job well, efficiently, effectively without undue favors, in a fair manner as we know you will because this is a very important sector and this involves the Filipino people," Legarda said.
Of the 60 DFA senior official, 13 were ambassadors, including Florcruz, Bernas and Tocsin.
As the Philippines is sandwiched in the power play between China and the United States, Florcruz said ‘’we don’t want to be the grass to be trampled upon by these two powers who are in the process of rivalry.’’
He stayed in China for 48 years where he sought exile during the martial law years and became a foreign journalist there.
Asked by CA members how long should the Philippines continue to fire note verbalise over the bullying and intrusions of China in Philippine territorial waters , Florcruz said he wished it would stop today and that the Philippines should be respected as a sovereign nation.
He said Philippine foreign policy should be based on strength, adding that the military establishment be fully funded and fully trained.
‘’Please make us proud,’’ Zubiri told the foreign service officers.