President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will have a free hand in nominating the top officials of three constitutional commissions after the Commission on Appointments bypassed the ad interim appointments made by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“By operation of the Constitution and the CA rules, these positions become vacant upon the adjournment of the session of Congress,” Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.
He said though the House of Representatives and the Senate adjourned their third and last regular session on Wednesday, the official adjournment based on the legislative calendar is June 4.
The affected officials are the chairman and two commissioners of the Commission on Elections, and the chairmen of the Commission on Audit and the Civil Service Commission. President Duterte appointed them while Congress was in recess.
Rodriguez said President Duterte could choose to either not renew the appointments or reappoint the affected officials.
“I think the President will choose the first option and let his successor fill the Comelec, COA, and CSC vacancies, in the same manner that the CA bypassed the appointees to give the incoming President that same opportunity,” he said.
He said if the appointees are reappointed, they could face the same fate in the CA of the next Congress as they suffered on Wednesday.
“By then, the new President will already have assumed office and he will have a free hand in appointing or nominating constitutional officers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Department of Health (DOH) officials are ready to work closely with its next Health secretary to continue the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) agenda under the Marcos administration.
The DOH, in a statement, said that it was prepared for the change in administration.
The department stressed the importance of primary health care in making preventive measures that could ease the hospital utilization in the country, as well as the emergence of telemedicine that has been beneficial throughout the pandemic.
The DOH pointed out that the pandemic highlighted the need for “sound leadership and good governance of provincial governors and city mayors” who are responsible for the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in their localities.
“There are many more lessons learned from the pandemic response, and moving forward, our transition to the new normal where UHC will help us prepare better for any future public health emergencies,” the DOH said.
President Duterte signed into law the UHC Act in February 2019, guaranteeing that all Filipinos will have equal access to quality and affordable goods and services in health care.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Wednesday said it signed a joint circular with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on how to disburse their allotted funds for the UHC.
Marcos has yet to name the next Health chief who will replace Secretary Francisco Duque III.
The Philippine Medical Association said on Wednesday that it was endorsing National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 medical adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa to serve as the next Health secretary, citing his experience and expertise in health care systems, public health, hospital administration, trauma surgery, and emergency and disaster medicine.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana, who is also a member of the DOH Technical Advisory Group, earlier declined to comment on whether the Marcos camp has tapped him as the next Health chief.
Outgoing Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday assured incoming Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla of a smooth and orderly transition at the Department of Justice.
“Together with our senior officials, I will give [Cavite] congressman Remulla and his team a briefing on DOJ operations, programs, and projects on Thursday, June 9. We shall ensure a smooth and orderly transition at the DOJ,” Guevarra said in a text message.
Guevarra said he will suggest to the incoming DOJ chief several issues that need full support and continuation under the incoming DOJ leadership.
Also on Friday, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto praised the incoming administration’s choice of economic managers, calling them “premium investment grade.”
“Ben Diokno, Arsi Balisacan, Fred Pascual, Mina Pangandaman, and Felipe Medalla are topnotch professionals whose skills and experience fit the country’s post-COVID reconstruction needs,” Recto said in a statement, referring to the incoming Finance secretary, Socio-Economic Planning secretary, Budget secretary, and central bank governor.
“Their combined expertise should make us hopeful that the first bill President BBM will send to Congress, the 2023 National Budget, is a feasible battle plan that combats joblessness, food insecurity, manufacturing lethargy, weak health system, and the education crisis,” Recto said.
“Another urgent document that must be prepared by the new administration is the country’s Five-Year Medium-Term Economic Plan…. There is no better crew to oversee the drafting of this guide out of the economic doldrums inflicted by the pandemic than this A-team,” he said.