Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo. INQUIRER.net / Cathy Miranda
The Commission on Appointments (CA) held an executive session on Wednesday to discuss the fate of Judy Taguiwalo as Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary.
Taguiwalo has already been bypassed twice. If the CA rejects her appointment, she can no longer be reappointed.
During the hearing, members of the powerful Commission threw controversial questions to the secretary, including her stance on the national ID system and the ongoing peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF).
Senator Manny Pacquiao also asked Taguiwalo if there will be an end to anti-government protests, which the secretary used to be part of.
“Kailangan nilang malaman na ang Pangulo hindi naman Superman para i-solve lahat, kaya nga kayo andyan sa DSWD, si Mariano sa DAR, at ‘yung iba pa, para makatulong kung ano man ‘yung problema,” Paquiao said, referring to Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, who, like Taguiwalo, is a leftist member of the Duterte cabinet.
(They (militants) need to know that the President is not Superman to solve everything, that’s why you are in the DSWD, and Mariano is in DAR, and all the others so you can help solve the problems.)
“Nirarally rin po ako, nakatanggap na rin ako ng plakard na DSWD manhid. Nagrarally din sa labas,” Taguiwalo said.
(People have also rallied against me and I have received the placards saying DSWD is insensitive. I have witnessed rallies outside.)
“I take it with a grain of salt. Natatawa nga ako, dati ako ‘yung nagrarally ngayon ako na nirarally (I actually find it funny; before I used to be a part of rallies, now people rally against me),” she added, explaining that protests are part of the democratic processes in the country.
Taguiwalo, a long-time activist and professor, is one of the three Cabinet members nominated by the Communist Party of the Philippines. She, however, denied links to the group, which has been waging war in the countryside for almost 50 years. IDL