Noynoy shuns re-appointment of bypassed Cabinet execs

In a bid to revitalize the mandate of the Commission on Appointments (CA), a neophyte senator yesterday pushed for the passage of a bill aimed at preventing the Palace from reappointing Cabinet officials bypassed thrice by the CA.

Sen. Benigno Simeon Aquino III yesterday assailed Mrs. Arroyo’s practice of simply reappointing members of her Cabinet who failed to get approval from the CA.

“The President has abused her power to appoint because of her consistent reappointment of her nominees who have been consecutively bypassed by the CA,” Aquino said.

Aquino noted that a member of President Arroyo’s Cabinet has remained in his post even though he has been successively bypassed for 15 times in a span of three years.

Aquino however refused to name the Cabinet official, who was bypassed seven times in just a year.

“He was reappointed by the President, and was allowed to continue performing the functions supposedly reserved only to those qualified officials whose nominations had been confirmed by the CA,” Aquino said.

To address this perennial problem, Aquino has urged his colleagues to support Senate Bill No. 1719, entitled Appointee Ineligibility Act of 2007, which seeks to empower the CA to declare as ineligible Presidential nominees who would fail to secure a confirmation three times.

“Through this proposed bill, any nominee declared ineligible by the CA shall be barred from being reappointed or appointed by the same President to any of the positions provided for under Article VII, Section 16 of the Constitution. The principle of check and balance on the executive’s appointing power will be lawfully enforced through the CA,” Aquino said.