MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed yesterday Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista along with 51 other civilian and military officials.
During deliberations of the CA committee on interior and local governments, lawmakers pressed Año on the investigation into the deadly Jolo cathedral bombing in Sulu, efforts to counter religious extremism in the country and housing for informal settlers.
Año said the bombing was considered solved with the arrest of the suspects, even as he stressed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police continue to hold dialogues with Muslim religious leaders, local officials and other stakeholders to combat extremism.
Año, who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1983, was appointed Armed Forces chief in 2016 and later named to head the DILG in January last year.
“If there’s anything that Secretary Año should be credited for since being appointed to the DILG, it is his contributions to exacting accountability from local officials and public safety personnel,” Sen. Sonny Angara said in endorsing the official’s confirmation before the plenary.
Also confirmed was Bautista, a former Army chief and a member of PMA Class of 1985, who was grilled on the issue of lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros told Bautista that she was disappointed with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for reversing its position against lowering the threshold from 15 years to 12 years.
She stressed the DSWD should be at the forefront of opposing such bills in Congress as the agency is among the main implementors of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2008, which set the age of criminal responsibility at 15 years.
Hontiveros said the reported rise in incidents of minors involved in crime was due to the law not being implemented properly.
Bautista countered by saying the results of an ongoing study of the DSWD showed lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility would help in prevention and deterrence but he did not elaborate.
He, however, said the DSWD is leaving it to the Senate and House of Representatives to decide on what would be the ideal minimum age of criminal responsibility.
The bicameral body also confirmed the appointment of Aileen Lizada as commissioner of the Civil Service Commission.
Lawmakers pressed her on improving the performance evaluation of government officials and workers to reduce red tape.
The body also confirmed the appointments of Ramon Bagatsing Jr. as ambassador to India; Ma. Teresita Cruz Daza, ambassador to Chile; Christopher Baltazar Montero, ambassador to Brunei; and Noel Eugene Eusebio Mejico Servigo, ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The CA likewise confirmed the promotions of 43 generals and colonels, including Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy.