The Commission on Appointments on Wednesday confirmed the appointments of presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and dismissed House appropriations committee chairman Isidro Ungab as reserved colonels of the Philippine Army.
Facing the committee on national defense, Senator Panfilo Lacson asked Sara why he thought Ungab was booted out of his post at the House when people agreed he was more than qualified to handle the appropriations committee.
After responding that she had nothing to do with it, Lacson said he had no further questions.
Majority Leader Jose Mayo Almario quizzed Sara why her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, was scared of her.
“That he fears me is something that is only in his mind. I have always supported him, his personal decisions, his career decisions,” said Sara who was commissioned to the AFP Reserved Force with the rank of captain in 2009.
“Initially, I did not support his intention to run for President, but I belatedly supported it. I told him the only way I can help you as President is to make sure that Davao City continues to be a progressive and developed city in Mindanao.”
In closing, Sara brushed aside her tough image by saying she was not the soldier type.
“I just feel like a beauty queen, not a soldier, said Sara who was widely speculated as behind the ouster of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez following a verbal tussle with him and the installation of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
She also got involved in a controversy in 2011 for repeatedly punching court sheriff Abe Andres who insisted on serving a court order to evict informal settlers and demolish shanties in a contested property in Davao City.
Almario also aired his appreciation to Sara over COVID-19.
“It was Mayor Sara who first issued a statement canceling all activities for Araw ng Davao for the sake of the people of Davao and visitors,” he said.
While others had yet to react, Almario said, Davao City had already that kind of precautionary measure.
Prior to Sara’s deliberations, Ungab was put in the spot with Lacson asking him,” why were you ousted?”
“I have no idea why I was ousted. I just read it from the papers,” he said.
Lacson said he raised the question out of curiosity since he believed Ungab was the most competent and qualified to sit as chairman of the appropriations committee.
But Ungab said he didn’t know why he was kicked out of the appropriations committee. He wondered why he was removed.
The CA also confirmed the ad-interim appointments and nominations of three Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Committee likewise deliberated on the ad- interim appointments of 10 senior officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs who were promoted to the rank of Foreign Service Officers, Class II.