A total of 15 appointees of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will have to seek reappointment from him after the powerful Commission on Appointments bypassed their ad interim appointments on Wednesday.
Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, who also chairs the CA, released the list of names of Cabinet secretaries and commissioners who were bypassed by the Constitutional body.
Vic Rodriguez, who resigned from his post as Executive Secretary, topped the list of the bypassed appointments. He is followed by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, and Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar.
Likewise, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan Uy, Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum, Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, and Trade and Secretary Alfredo Pascual also failed to get the nod of the CA.
Economic chief Arsenio Balisacan, Audit chief Jose Calida and Commission on Elections Commissioner Nelson Celis were also bypassed by the Constitutional body.
Tulfo and Bonoan, whose appointments were expected to be approved by the CA during Wednesday's deliberation, failed to face the lawmakers due to the "lack of material time."
Unfortunately, there will be no more deliberations as the Congress is adjourning on the same day and set to resume its session on 6 November.
"There was a lack of material time, minus two secretaries earlier. We finished the CA plenary at 5 p.m. which ate into our Senate session at 3 p.m," Zubiri told reporters.
"If we pursued Secretary Tulfo and Bonoan, we would have finished at 7 p.m. and would have started the Senate session at 7:30 p.m. That is not allowed as we had to ratify two important bicam reports which will become law. We cannot also sacrifice our work in the Senate," he added.
Zubiri said all of the officials who have yet to secure the approval of the Constitutional body will have to get fresh appointments from the Chief Executive.
"Yes all the Secretaries, not just Secretary Tulfo and Secretary Bonoan who have not been confirmed will have to seek reappointment by the President as they would all be considered bypassed," he explained.
