NO MEMBER of the powerful Commission on Appointments opposed the separate motions for the confirmation of four members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet”•including Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo who was reminded about on “junket trips” abroad.
But Teo on Wednesday denied she allegedly asked for free designer shoes and theater tickets from mall executives.
“It’s not me. I’m conducting an investigation on who is using my name,” Teo told the commission during her interview.
Teo aside, the CA also confirmed the appointments of National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima and Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña.
The confirmation of Teo and Pernia was endorsed by the CA’s committee on tourism and economic development.
Salalima and De la Peña’s confirmation was recommended by the CA’s committees on transportation and communications, and science and technology, respectively.
During the hearing, Teo was cautioned Rep. Julieta Cortuna against inviting public officials, especially congressmen, to travels abroad as they may be accused of spending government funds.
“We’d like to advise you as much as possible, those travels have to be reduced,” said Cortuna, adding that this might create the impression of a junket. She was also advised to present to Speaker Pantaleon Alvaeez the reason for the travel in case she invites a member of the House.
On the confirmafion of Pernia, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said Pernia was the most qualified person to draft the one road map that no government could do without, and that was the national economic development plan.
“We need that plan so we will know the important numbers to be tallied, not the rising body count that victimizes the descamisados of our society but the numbers that truly matter: jobs generated, the poor liberated, the wealth created and the opportunities distributed,” Recto said.
He said Pernia was in the midst of crafting the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan.
“It should be a must-read from the President down to town mayors so that we will all be on the same page. Reading it may perhaps cure us of acute planning myopia, which is characterized by the failure to see or imagine the future beyond five years,” Recto said.
He said Pernia had logged almost half a century of public service in various capacities, the longest of which was being an economics teacher in Diliman.
“The pay is small, but the satisfaction great, that he spends his psychic income with gusto, which is not, by the way, a tall order for a Bol-anon, the proud race known for their parsimony,” Recto said.