CA OKs trade, agriculture chiefs’ appointments

The Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed on Wednesday the ad interim appointments of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

No member of the CA objected when separate motions were filed in the plenary, endorsing the confirmation of the two Cabinet members.

Unlike the two, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II failed to reach the plenary after the CA’s committee on justice and judicial and bar council decided to defer his confirmation pending opposition by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

READ: Aguirre’s CA confirmation deferred amid Trillanes’ opposition

Trillanes’ opposition stemmed from Aguirre’s latest tirades, calling him “son of a bitch,” “stupid senator,” “coward,” and “sundalong kanin (useless soldier)” after the senator accused him of possible involvement in the P50-million bribery scandal.

READ: Aguirre calls Trillanes coward, ‘sundalong kanin’

The panel will convene again on February 15 to give Trillanes an opportunity to confront the Justice Secretary. RAM