MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo wants the Commission on Appointments (CA) to be more transparent when confirming or rejecting a Cabinet appointee.

Robredo made the statement on Thursday, August 17, a day after the CA rejected the ad interim appointment of Judy Taguiwalo as Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary.

“Mas gugustuhin sana natin na mas transparent din iyong process, mas alam natin kung bakit na-reject. Tingin ko kasi iyong frustration kasi nanggagaling doon… Iyong alam mo, iyong pinaglalaban nitong tao ding ito, iyon iyong ipinaglalaban mo, and yet hindi siya pumasa sa proseso,” Robredo told reporters in a chance interview in Naga City.

(I would prefer that the process be more transparent, so we would know why she was rejected. I think the frustration is coming from there… You know this person is fighting for the same things you are fighting for, and yet she didn’t pass the process.)

CA members vote in an executive session, which means there is no official tally of votes released to the public. 

The commission also adopted a “3 strikes, you’re out” policy in March to limit the number of times an appointee can be bypassed and reappointed. Once the appointee is bypassed for the 3rd time, he or she is considered rejected and can no longer be reappointed.

After the adoption of the new rule, Taguiwalo was bypassed during the sine die adjournment on June 2, and the special joint session on July 22.

The Left’s nominee to the DSWD post said she was expecting the rejection, given her opposition to the proposed tax reform package and her order to limit the referrals of lawmakers for beneficiaries to access aid. (READ: Netizens: CA rejected Taguiwalo because she didn’t let them use pork barrel)

‘Even Jesse was never confirmed’

Robredo expressed disappointment at the lack of transparency in the CA, mentioning the rejection of Gina Lopez as Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary. 

The Vice President also cited her late husband Jesse Robredo, who died in a plane crash in August 2012 before the CA could confirm him as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary.

“Iyong asawa ko, he was secretary for two years, pero never na na-confirm. Ito iyong mga malulungkot na dahilan, ito iyong malulungkot na resulta noong check and balance process na iyon,” said Robredo.

(My husband was secretary for two years, but he was never confirmed. These are the disappointing results of that check and balance process.)

She said the public should express its frustration with the CA’s rules, but they must also respect the commission’s decisions.

“Puwede tayong magpahayag ng ating outrage. Puwede tayong magpahayag ng ating frustration kung bakit nangyayari ito. But at the end of the day, ito iyong proseso, eh. Ito iyong democratic institutions working, so kailangang igalang,” said Robredo. 

(We may express our outrage. We may voice out our frustrations. But at the end of the day, this is the process. This is how the democratic institutions are working, so we must respect it.) – Rappler.com