MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Appointments confirmed the nominations of 14 of 23 department heads of the Duterte administration in 2016.

The 14 secretaries who successfully hurdled the powerful CA in the first 6 months of the Duterte government are the following:

1. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
2. Palace Communications Secretary Martin Andanar
3. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi 
4. Science Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña
5. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno
6. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III
7. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana
8. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea
9. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia
10. Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima
11. Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno
12. Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo
13. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade
14. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar

Villar was the last appointee to be confirmed this year. He was not originally on the schedule but was told at the last minute that he would be the subject of a CA hearing. (READ: Lacson to House: Don’t blame Villar for ‘pork’ cut from DPWH budget)

Bypassed, deferred: Better luck in 2017

The CA bypassed 8 Cabinet secretaries and deferred the confirmation of another toward the end of 2016. Bypassing occurs when both chambers of Congress adjourn session or go on break without the commission confirming appointments. The Senate and House of Representatives are set to go on Christmas break starting December 17 and are set to resume sessions on January 16, 2017. (READ: Confirmation limbo: Long but futile process?)

Since the CA is on break, President Rodrigo Duterte has to submit their re-appointment papers to the commission for another round of consideration. (READ: To fix or scrap the confirmation system?)

Among the Cabinet members who failed to get the CA nod this year are:

1. Vitaliano Aguirre II
2. Leonor Briones
3. Ramon Lopez
4. Gina Lopez
5. Rafael Mariano
6. Manny Piñol
7. Judy Taguiwalo
8. Paulyn Ubial
9. Perfecto Yasay Jr

Of the 9, only Piñol underwent CA deliberations, as the rest have not even been scheduled yet. He faced the CA panel on agriculture on Tuesday, December 13, but his confirmation was deferred due to his “unclear” policies on lifting the importation quota on rice and the transfer of Department of Agriculture bureaus.

Yasay, meanwhile, faces citizenship issues for being an alleged national of both the Philippines and the United States, which he denied. Republic Act 9225 prohibits a public official from holding a foreign citizenship while in office. – Rappler.com