CA will begin deliberations when Congress resumes

Some 171 presidential appointees, mostly military officials including newly named Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, are set to face the scrutiny of the Commission on Appointments.

The CA will begin the deliberation of appointments when the Congress resumes sessions on 22 January.

CA Assistant Minority Leader, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, said they have already received the appointment papers of newly designated Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, along with the nomination papers of two ambassadors and the promotion papers of 168 senior military officers.

“Based on CA records, Flerida Ann Camille Mayo was named Philippine ambassador to Cambodia while Edgar Tomas Auxilian was selected Philippine ambassador to Papua New Guinea with concurrent jurisdiction over Kiribati and Solomon Islands,” he said.

Meanwhile, the latest batch of senior military officers awaiting their confirmation is led by four Philippine Army major generals including Leodevic Guinid, Allan Hambala, Edmund Peralta, and Ramon Zagala II.

Peralta is the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Intelligence Service, Guinid serves as the Army vice commander, while Hambala commands the 10th Infantry “Agila” division and Zagala, who was the former commander of the Presidential Security Group, now heads the AFP Civil Relations Service.

The promotion of 13 brigadier generals from the Philippine Army, three commodores from the Philippine Navy and 148 colonels from the Philippine Army and the Philippine Air Force also pending confirmation.

The public is urged to submit a report to the CA Secretariat in case there is any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions to the appointees.

The Philippine Constitution empowers the 25-member body—composed of the Senate President, as ex-officio Chairman, 12 Senators, and 12 members of the House of Representatives— to scrutinize the competence, fitness, and integrity of key presidential appointees.