CA Approves DICT, DOE, DOST Heads and 60 DFA Ambassadors and Officials

On Wednesday, the Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed the ad interim appointments of three cabinet secretaries and the nominations and ad interim appointments of sixty foreign service officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The CA confirmed Sec. Raphael P.M. Lotilla for the Department of Energy, Sec. Renato U. Solidum for the Department of Science and Technology, and Sec. Ivan John Uy for the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

The CA also confirmed sixty foreign service officials, thirteen of whom are ambassadors--including Amb. Teodoro Locsin Jr. to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Amb. Jaime Florcruz to the People's Republic of China; and Amb. Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo Bernas to the Republic of Austria.

The CA also gave its consent to the nomination of two ambassadors who have been given additional jurisdictions, namely Amb. Jaime Victor Ledda, as Ambassador to the Commission of the European Communities and the Council of the European Union; and Amb. Mylene Garcia-Albano as Non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Marshal Islands.

Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, who heads the CA, hailed it a productive day for the Commission, despite the earthquake necessitating a slight pause in the proceedings at the middle of the day.

Zubiri also voiced his support for the approval of Lotilla, with whom he had the opportunity of working, in his time in the House of Representatives.

"His credibility and integrity are beyond reproach," he said. Of Solidum, Zubiri said that "no other person is fit for the job, except our top scientist."

He also approved of Uy as a qualified and experienced public servant, fit for the DICT, having headed the Commission on Information and Communications Technology.

Zubiri also addressed the appointees, saying, "You are the face of our country in all your posts abroad. Please make us proud and help promote our nation. I hope you can get more tourists to come and more investors to invest in our country."