THE powerful Commission on Appointments on Wednesday deferred the confirmation of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi after Senator Panfilo Lacson raised doubts on his assertion the entire country now has electricity.
“We will suspend deliberations in the ad interim appointment of Alfonso Cusi as secretary of Energy until next hearing,” announced Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon who presided over the proceeding.
Drilon said Cusi’s confirmation was put on hold until he can submit the documents being sought by Lacson.
During the confirmation hearing, Lacson confronted Cusi about the government’s National Electrification program and asked for a note data on the same program in sitios within the more than 42,000 barangays.
Based on their standard, Cusi said all sitios already have electricity, but this was countered by Lacson, who insisted there were still places in the far north without electricity.
“I do not fully agree with you… check the data. It’s in your bundle… don’t say there is 100-percent electricity in the entire Philippines,” he said.
He said it is important that even sitios in far-flung areas should have electricity in line with the electrification program of the administration.
In an earlier interview, Lacson told reporters he can invoke Section 20 of the CA Rules to block Cusi confirmation, but still gave him until the hearing next Wednesday to produce the documents.
Sought for comment after failing to get the CA nod in his first appearance in his confirmation hearings, Cusi said: “That’s ok. That’s fine, that is a healthy discussion at least his questions were right.”
He promised to provide Lacson next week with the data on electrification and the working figure on how much government had lost to the power purchase agreements with independent power producers.
The hearing lasted two hours, with the committee taking a break for 30 minutes and some senators discussing Lacson’s questions.
The hearing started with San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora saying the House contingent of the CA energy committee had no questions for Cusi and was ready to endorse his nomination in plenary.
But senators in the committee had questions for Cusi, starting with Lacson who asked him about the barangay electrification program and the PPA.
Drilon described the hearing as “energized” since all the House contingent were present and only two senators were absent.
Meanwhile, the CA confirmed the appointments and nominations of 22 military officers.
No member of the CA’s committee on national defense opposed when a motion was made to recommend the appointments of the military officers.