The Commission on Appointments on Wednesday unanimously approved the ad interim appointment of Ralph Recto as secretary of the Department of Finance.

Recto's former colleagues in both the House of Representatives and Senate expressed their full support for his confirmation, and no members of the CA voted against his appointment.

During the plenary debate of the CA Committee on Finance, the 12-member House contingent of the powerful CA spared Recto from questioning.

“The House contingent to the Commission on Appointments has unanimously agreed to support the confirmation of our former colleague, Finance Secretary Ralph Gonzales Recto,” CA Committee on Finance Vice Chairperson and Representative Ramon Gioco Jr. said.

“We shall not raise any questions and interpose no objections with regards to his nomination as Finance secretary,” he added.

Meanwhile, only Senator Risa Hontiveros from the 12-member Senate contingent raised questions to Recto, particularly about his priorities and policies as Finance chief.

For his part, Recto said he would prioritize the improvement of the country’s debt-to-gross domestic product ratio, which is the widely used indicator for tracking debt sustainability.

Likewise, the Finance chief expressed his commitment to enhancing tax collection efforts by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, while also reducing the country's fiscal deficit.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who also sponsored the ad interim appointment of Recto, approved the latter’s nomination for the post of Finance secretary.

Zubiri declared support for Recto, whom he said is a “dear friend, true patriot, and a former senator.”

“When he was in the Senate, Senator Ralph was the resident numbers guy, not only because he was brilliant at crunching numbers but more importantly because he could see the big picture,” he said.

According to him, Recto was the go-to adviser on the economy, taxes, and even in life when he was a member of the Senate.

“This is what we need from our secretary of finance. Someone who has the mind for numbers but whose heart is firmly set for uplifting the lives of our people,” he said.

“Someone who will work not only towards the upward trajectory of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or economy but also ensure that whatever growth rate we achieve as a nation would be felt by our lower income and marginalized sectors as well,” he added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda also expressed his support for Recto, whom she said she had the opportunity to work closely with for two consecutive terms in the Senate during the 16th and 17th Congress.

Legarda described the former lawmaker as a “man of integrity and unparalleled work ethic.”

“His commitment to inclusive growth, transparent governance, and poverty alleviation has shaped his career as a public servant,” she said.

“In confirming the ad interim appointment of Ralph Recto as the head of the Department of Finance, we are not just selecting a capable leader; we are entrusting the future of our nation's economy to someone who has a keen understanding of economic policies and has a proven track record in crafting legislation that fosters sustainable and inclusive growth,” she added.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also backed Recto’s confirmation as Finance chief, whom he described as the upper chamber’s “resident numbers guy.”

“We have nothing but great things to say about our dear friend, colleague, brother Secretary Ralph Recto. As he takes the lead as the Secretary of Finance, we look forward to working alongside with him to promote the sound and efficient management of the country's financial resources,” Villanueva said.

Before joining the cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Recto served as a House deputy speaker and Batangas representative.

Recto also had the opportunity to serve briefly as chief of the National Economic and Development Authority during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2008.

He replaced Benjamin Diokno as Finance Secretary in January, who was tapped by Marcos to be a member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' Monetary board.