The bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) will check the credentials of the newly appointed chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
This was disclosed by CA assistant minority leader Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel who said the vetting, to be done by the CA committee on national defense chaired by Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo amid calls for the secession of Mindanao, “The CA has already received the appointment papers of Army Maj. Gen. Edmundo Peralta, the new ISAFP chief, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Jesus Nelson Morales, the new PSG commander,” Pimentel said in a statement.
Pimentel’s announcement came shortly after National Security Adviser Eduardo Año denounced calls for Mindanao to break away from the rest of the Philippines.
Ano warned that any attempt at segregating Mindanao would be met with “resolute force.”
Besides Peralta and Morales, three newly promoted Army major generals are also facing confirmation hearings before the CA, according to Pimentel.
The lawmaker named them as Major Generals Leodevic Guinid, Army vice commander; Allan Hambala, commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division; and Ramon Zagala II, chief of the military’s Civilian Relations Service.
Pimentel said 22 brigadier generals from the Army, Air Force, and the Marines, five commodores, 174 colonels, and 11 naval captains (equivalent to colonel) were also awaiting CA confirmation.
“All told, we now have a total of 217 senior military officers lined up for their CA confirmation hearings,” Pimentel said.
“We would encourage the public to send to the CA Secretariat any information, written report, complaints or oppositions to the appointees,” Pimentel said.
The Constitution empowers the 25-member CA to examine the competence, fitness, and integrity of key presidential appointees, including senior military officers from the rank of colonel and above, and to approve or reject the nomination.
The commission is composed of 12 members each from the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate President as ex officio chairman.
