Medialdea’s appointment OK'd in less than two minutes by CA panel

With no questions, the Commission on Appointments (CA) committee on government corporations and other offices approved the ad interim appointment of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea Wednesday morning.

After a few opening remarks by Medialdea, Senator Miguel Zubiri moved for the confirmation of the Executive Secretary’s nomination, and that it be referred to the CA plenary.

Zubiri’s motion was seconded by Senator Loren Legarda.

Medialdea’s swift confirmation proceeding only took less than two minutes. 

Meanwhile, the CA committee on foreign affairs deferred the appointment of James Lao, ambassador to Brunei, after failing to answer questions concerning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) working in his assignment.

The other four DFA officers approved by the CA panel were Philippe Jones Lhuillier, ambassador to Spain; Antonio Lagdameo, ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Alan Timbayan, ambassador to Qatar, and Charles Jose, ambassador to Malaysia.

Senator Gringo Honasan said he “empathized” with Jose, now the spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“Sometimes, I empathize with your agony because whenever the President or Foreign Affairs secretary [talk], you end up explaining what that means for our foreign policy,” Honasan said. “Do you find difficulty reconciling national interest and foreign policy to be consistent in what our leaders say?”

Jose said he takes his cue from Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

“When it comes to for example clarifying, interpreting statements made by the president, what I do is I take my lead or cue from the secretary of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has said the Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy. Secretary Yasay recently said Duterte has taken such position because “America has failed us.” — ALG/RSJ, GMA News