Manalo, 23 other DFA execs hurdle CA confirmation
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Austria Manalo answers queries from legislators during the Commission on Appointments’ deliberation on his ad interim appointment as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs Wednesday, September 28, 2022. The CA also tackled the nominations of 23 officials of the Foreign Affairs. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and the nomination of 23 other Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials.
The CA plenary approved the ad-interim appointment of Manalo and nominations of 23 DFA officials following the committee on foreign affairs’ recommendation.
Among the issues tackled during the panel deliberations were the West Philippine Sea dispute, the case of Mary Jane Veloso, and the Ukraine-Russia war.
Manalo vowed to protect the country’s territory and prioritize the welfare of Filipinos.
The 23 other DFA officials whose nominations were approved by the CA are:
- Joseph Gerard Bacani Angeles – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federative Republic of Brazil, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Colombia, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Suriname, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela;
- Nathaniel Garcia Imperial – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Italian Republic, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Malta, and the Republic of San Marino;
- Gina Alagon Jamoralin – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Indonesia;
- Jaime Victor Badillo Ledda – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg;
- Medardo Antonio Gonzales Macaraig – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Singapore;
- Eduardo Ramos Meñez – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Czech Republic;
- Hjayceelyn Mancenido Quintana – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta, Indonesia;
- Wilfredo Cunanan Santos – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with concurrent jurisdiction over the State of Palestine;
- Alfonso Ferdinand Agbayani Ver – Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates;
- Grace Cruz-Fabella – Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Argentine Republic, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the Republic of Paraguay and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay;
- Lilybeth Rodriguez Deapera – Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Mexican States, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of Cuba, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, the Republic of Nicaragua, the Republic of Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Belize;
- Lilibeth Velasco Pono – Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Qatar;
- Pedro Ramirez Laylo Jr. – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Israel, with the salary and emoluments of a Chief of Mission, Class I;
- Philippe Jones Lhuillier – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain, including the Canary Islands, with the salary and emoluments of a Chief of Mission, Class I;
- Adelio Angelito Soriano Cruz – Chief of Mission Class I;
- Daniel Ramos Espiritu – Chief of Mission Class I;
- Christopher Baltazar Montero – Chief of Mission Class I;
- Gines Jaime Ricardo Dacanay Gallaga – Chief of Mission Class II;
- Mersole Jala Mellejor – Chief of Mission Class II;
- Jason Jovencio Aljibe Anasarias – Career Minister;
- Maria Cynthia Paras Pelayo – Career Minister;
- Geronimo Capiendo Suliguin Jr. – Foreign Service Officer, Class I; and,
- LV Ignacio de Guzman – Foreign Service Officer, Class II
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