Department of Foreign Affairs building. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Kira Christianne Azucena and 14 other foreign service officials were confirmed on Wednesday by the Commission on Appointments.
The CA committee on foreign affairs, chaired by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, deliberated on the nomination and appointments of the officials.
Following the panel’s discussion, Estrada recommended the officials’ confirmation to the CA plenary.
Their nomination and appointments were approved with no objection.
Aside from Azucena, the 14 foreign service officials whose appointments were confirmed were:
- Ariel Peñaranda – Chief of Mission, Class I
- Lilybeth Deapera – Chief of Mission, Class I
- Edna May Lazaro – Chief of Mission, Class II
- Edgar Tomas Auxilian – Chief of Mission, Class II
- Winston Dean Almeda – Career Minister
- Sheila Marie Tario – Career Minister
- Raymund Toledo – – Career Minister
- Randy Arquiza – Career Minister
- Jan Kenneth Bolante – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
- Glenn Joseph Obach – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
- Ira Micheline Valdez – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
- Jan Sherwin Wenceslao – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
- Francis Maynard Maleon – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
- Jeffrey Angelo Valdez – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
Meanwhile, the nomination of Bienvenido Tejado, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, was deferred as the panel was not satisfied with his answers regarding cases filed against him.