MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, March 11 confirmed the appointments of Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo and army reservists presidential daughter Sara Duterte and Davao City 3rd district Representative Isidro Ungab.

Duterte and Ungab both carry the rank of colonel.

Ungab was recently ousted from his post as chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, a casualty in the power struggle  between the factions of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and speaker-in-waiting Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco. 

During the confirmation hearing, Senator Panfilo Lacson asked Ungab why he was removed from his post. “I find you highly competent. You have integrity,” Lacson said. Adding, “In fact, you are more qualified than most House members to sit as chairman of the House committee on appropriations.”

Ungab said that he “[didn’t] have an idea” why he was ousted. “I just read about it in the papers,” he said.

LOOK: 21 AFP generals, including army reservist colonels Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio and Davao City 3rd district Rep Isidro Ungab await confirmation from the Commission on Appointments plenary @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/yctNaRSJxz

— Aika Rey (@reyaika) March 11, 2020

Apart from the 3, 18 other senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines were also confirmed by powerful CA plenary:

• Rear Admiral Sean Anthony Villa
• Major General Greg Almerol
• Major General Ariel Caculitan
• Major General Glenn Cruz
• Major General Arthur Cordura
• Major General William Ilagan
• Major General Marcelino Randy Tibayan
• Brigadier General Anthony Cacayuran
• Brigadier General Gabriel Viray III 
• Brigadier General Rommel Hinlo
• Brigadier General Rommel Tello
• Brigadier General Jonas Lumawag
• Commodore Alfonspin Tumanda
• Commodore Karl Decapia
• Captain Edwin Princillo
• Captain Narciso Angelo
• Colonel Leo Frincillo
• Colonel Edgar Crisanto Violan
• Colonel Saturnino Diaron

Envoys, FSOs get CA nod

The CA likewise gave a greenlight to the appointment of Philippine ambassador to Canada, Rodolfo Dia Robles, to Chief of Mission I.

In his sponsorship speech, Lacson cited Robles’ “exceptional credentials.”

“He is known as the author of Miranda Doctrine, the Constitutional rights of an accused under custodial investigation as well as the law creating the Office of the Ombudsman, earning for himself the moniker as the Father of Filipino Ombudsman or Tanodbayan,” Lacson said.

The CA plenary also confirmed the appointment to Chief of Mission II of Millicent Cruz-Paredes, whose appointment was earlier deferred by the CA panel on foreign affairs.

Paredes concurrently serves as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission in Asia Pacific and the Philippine ambassador to Thailand.

Apart from the two envoys, 10 foreign service officers’ appointment to FSO II were confirmed by the powerful body.

• Theodore Andrei P. Bauzon
• Candy S. Cypres-Bauzon
• Nicole Therese A. de Castro
• Mikhail C. de Dios
• Maria Rosanna O. Josue
• Raisa A. Mabayo
• Siegfred T. Masangkay
• Shirley O. Nuevo
• Ajeet Victor S. Panemanglor
• Ralf Gagara C. Roldan

The CA panel on foreign affairs on Wednesday deffered the appointment of Mohd. Noordin Pendosin Noor Lomondot as the Philippine ambassador to Kuwait, for the sole reason that Lomondot is set to retire on April 5. – Rappler.com