CA bypasses Tulfo, Pascual for 2nd time
Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual. Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — The future of Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual in the Marcos administration appears to be hanging by a thread after the Commission on Appointments (CA) again bypassed their designation as members of the Cabinet.
Tulfo and Pascual failed to secure the confirmation of their appointments for the second time from the powerful congressional body, which adjourned its regular session on Wednesday as Congress went on a monthlong holiday break.
“They are both considered bypassed and have to be reappointed by President (Marcos) again next year,” Sen. JV Ejercito, a CA member, told the Inquirer.
Tulfo and Pascual were among the 14 members of the President’s official family who were bypassed when the Senate and the House of Representatives went on recess in September.
On the other hand, three other Cabinet members—Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Urban Development Secretary Jerry Acuzar and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan—hurdled the CA’s vetting process.
Libel, citizenship issues
The legislative body also confirmed the appointments of Commissioners Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. and Nelson Celis of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), along with the promotion of 54 senior officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Maceda is the son and namesake of the late Senate President Ernesto Maceda.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said the CA members had reservations about Tulfo’s qualifications due to his earlier conviction for libel.
He said Tulfo, a former broadcaster, also had to address lingering questions over his citizenship.
“We have to perform our constitutional mandate to make sure that we vet members of the Cabinet who have no legal impediments,” Zubiri told reporters on Monday, adding:
“The (libel) conviction has a legal implication because the CA has never confirmed anyone with a conviction by final judgment.”
The Senate leader said they had actually invited retired and incumbent justices to get their legal opinion on Tulfo’s situation.
“We will study the matter carefully as there are legal precedents and cases decided by the Supreme Court [which declared that libel conviction is a criminal offense involving moral turpitude],” Zubiri said.
Congress will resume session after the Christmas break and the CA will have to vote whether to approve or reject Tulfo’s designation.
Complaints from Peza
During Pascual’s confirmation hearing on Dec. 6, two CA members—Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel and Sen. Imee Marcos—criticized Pascual for supposedly being unaware of complaints filed against Tereso Panga, the officer in charge of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Pimentel said Panga had unjustly demoted and transferred more than 70 Peza personnel upon assuming his post without following existing civil service policies.
Panga also padlocked the office of his predecessor, former Peza Director General Charito Plaza, which heightened tensions within the agency, according to the Surigao del Sur lawmaker.
“Panga clearly abused his authority in demoting, transferring and terminating these employees just because of his self-interest,” Pimentel said.
When Pascual claimed that he knew about the problem “only now,” Pimentel retorted: “You’re lying!”
“You’re telling us that you only knew about it now? What kind of secretary are you?” he said. “You know it from the very beginning because it was you who gave the order to Panga.”
