Cacdac, 25 others face CA scrutiny
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
MIGRANT Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and 25 other presidential appointees will be grilled by the Commission on Appointments (CA) this month, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said.
“We already have Secretary Cacdac’s appointment papers from Malacañang, together with the promotion papers of eight military generals and 17 career diplomats,” said Pimentel, CA assistant minority leader.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Cacdac as secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on April 25.
Cacdac served as DMW officer in charge for seven months.
Pimentel said he expects Cacdac and the other appointees to be vetted by the CA before Congress adjourns on May 25.
“We would encourage the public to send to the CA Secretariat any information, written report, or complaints or oppositions to the appointees,” he said.
In March, the CA bypassed an Army colonel’s promotion following the strong opposition of his estranged wife on the grounds of alleged physical abuse, adultery, and neglect in providing financial support to their children.
The CA is composed of 12 members each from the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate President as ex-officio presiding officer.
Pimentel named the military generals awaiting CA confirmation of their promotions as Lt. Gen. Fernando Reyeg, Armed Forces deputy chief of staff for operations; Air Force Maj. Gen. Pablo Rustria Jr., commander of Air Installation and Base Development Command; Air Force Brig. Gen. Genaro Menor, deputy wing commander of Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao; Marine Brig. Gen. Gregorio Hernandez Jr., commander of Combat Support Brigade; Army Brig. Gen. Romulus Joseph Canieso, chief of the unified command staff of the Northern Luzon Command and Commodores Felipe Bautista; Diosdado Caluya Jr. and Vincent Sibala.
Meanwhile, the new batch of career diplomats awaiting their confirmation hearings is led by Ambassadors Paul Raymond Cortes and Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat, who were both promoted to the rank of Chief of Mission 1.
Cortes and Vinzon-Balatbat are the country’s sitting ambassadors to Portugal and Chile, respectively.