THE Commission on Appointments yesterday approved the appointments of the secretaries of information and communications technology; energy; science and technology, and 60 senior foreign affairs officials.
First to be approved by the plenary was the confirmation of Ivan John Uy as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology. He was supposed to be confirmed last Tuesday but this did not push through due to time constraints.
Also confirmed were the appointments of Raphael Lotilla as energy secretary and Renato Solidum as secretary of the Department of Science and Technology.
Lotilla’s confirmation came after the CA panel on energy twice suspended deliberations on his appointment, with Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta asking for more time to ask questions. Lotilla was initially scheduled for confirmation last November 29 and last Tuesday.
Among the concerns raised against Lotilla was the issue on alleged excess electric bill charges and the inability of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to lower the cost of electricity.
Lotilla was earlier questioned by Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros if he has a brother working in a company involved in transmitting power. He replied that his brother is “an independent director in the mother company but not in the company itself which runs the transmission.”
Lotilla was an independent director of Aboitiz Power Corp. when he was named as the new DOE chief. He later resigned from Aboitiz after issues were raised against him for accepting his nomination in government while still holding a post in a private company.
Solidum was asked by CA panel member Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte to improve the country’s science and technology programs.
“Unfortunately, (in) our country, most of the graduates want to be nurses so they can work abroad. My ultimate desire for you, sir, is to humanize and make (the) DOST more relevant to the times. As you understand, even in the budget hearings in the Congress, ang palagi talagang maraming tanong are (the agencies with a lot of questions are) DA (Department of Agriculture), Public Works. But you know, when it comes to DOST, parang (it seems) there’s a lack of interest. So, what I’m saying is you make DOST more palatable, more exciting for the people,” Villafuerte said.
The confirmation of 13 ambassadors followed, among them former foreign affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. as ambassador to the United Kingdom and Luli Arroyo-Bernas, daughter of former President Arroyo, as ambassador to Austria.
