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Estrada camp blocks Davide's appointment(Manila Standard Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) THE Commission on Appointments yesterday confirmed the appointments of three ambassadors and 51 other career officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs. But the CoA committee on foreign affairs chaired by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago deferred the confirmation of the appointment of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as the country's permanent representative to the United Nations. Davide's appointment was stalled because Senator Jinggoy Estrada, a member of the CoA committee, has yet to finish his questions on Davide. As then SC chief justice, it was Davide who swore into office President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, replacing Joseph Estrada who was ousted by a popular uprising known as Edsa 2. It was also Davide who presided over the impeachment trial of the deposed leader. Among those confirmed in yesterday's proceeding of the commission include Vidal Querol, as Ambassador to Indonesia. Querol, a former commander of the National Capital Region Command of the police, said he once had as classmate of the incumbent Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Also confirmed were the appointments of the following: Teresita Berner, Ambassador to India, with concurrent jurisdiction over Nepal, and Minerva Jean Falcon, Ambassador to Swiss Federation, with concurrent jurisdiction over the municipality of Liechtenstein. The commission also confirmed the appointments of Linglingay Lacanlale as chief of mission class I, as well as those of Jocelyn Batoon Garcia, Julius Torres, and Antonio Curameng as chiefs of mission class II; Eva Betita, Monina Callangan Rueca, Eleanor Jaucian, Alex Lamadrid, Crescente Relacion, and Celia Anna Feria as carreer ministers, as well as 41 other foreign affairs department career officials. Those who questioned Davide's appointment included former Senator Francisco Tatad, Estrada's lawyer Alan Paguia, a certain Aurelio Arienda and former Judge Florentino Floro Jr. Both Tatad and Paguia cited Section 23 of Republic Act 7157 or the Foreign Service Act of 1991 which they said prohibits the appointment of a person over 65 years old as an ambassador. Davide retired last year from the high court upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. But Davide said: "The law recognizes the traditional power of the President to nominate/appoint in the foreign service, individuals who are more than 65 years old whom the President believes can effectively represent the Philippines in diplomatic and permanent missions." The confirmation proceedings took on a bizzare twist when Floro took the stand, opposing Davide for taking part in the high court decision that removed him from service after a suspension of seven years, as well as alleged corruption and ill-health. Floro said he is in constant contact with three dwarves, namely "Luis, Armand and Angel" who are "world famous because they are in Google." But what prolonged the confirmation process was Estrada who asked Davide questions on his participation in the ouster of his father from office. Among others, Estrada said Davide and the high court justices who participated in swearing in Mrs. Arroyo to the presidency violated the canons of judicial ethics, prohibiting justices from engaging in partisan political activity, a charge that Davide said has no basis. Likewise, Estrada cited the recollection of Edsa 2 events in the book of Davide's successor, Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, saying Davide agreed to a suggestion to swear in Mrs. Arroyo as President at the time there was no request to do so and Estrada was still in power. "I was ready to do that, provided that there was a confluence of events. There were already lots of people there [in Edsa]," Davide said, saying it was a call of duty in order to save the country from possible takeover by a military junta. Santiago stopped the proceedings for lack of time, directing Davide to come back in subsequent hearings of the committee for continuation of the questions, effectively deferring his confirmation. Copyright 2006 Manila Standard. Source: Financial Times Information Limited. |