Palace expects ‘smooth sailing’ confirmation of Roxas, Abaya

MALACANANG is expecting a “smooth sailing” confirmation of former senator Manuel Roxas II and Cavite Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya as Local Government secretary and Transportation and Communications secretary, respectively.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace welcomes the positive responses of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on the confirmation of the two officials.

“From all accounts, leaders of Commission on Appointments were saying that they do not see any problem on the confirmation first because they are all familiar with the two officials. And second, they do not see any objection on the appointment,” Valte said in a radio interview over Radyo ng Bayan Sunday.

She said Malacanang is expecting that the CA would heed the call of President Benigno Aquino III to expedite the process of the two officials’ confirmations.

Last Friday, President Aquino announced the appointment of Roxas and Abaya following the death of late Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo due to a plane crash off Masbate on August 18.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, chairman of the CA, has asked the President to immediately transmit the appointment papers of the two so they can proceed with the confirmation process as soon as possible.

Roxas, when appointed as secretary of Department of Transportation and Communications, also had an easy confirmation in the CA.

Roxas and Abaya will remain in their respective duties pending the confirmation of the CA.

Valte, likewise, said that Abaya may not be able to act immediately on the “wish list of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to install screens at stations to prevent suicide attempts following the incident last week.”

But she assured that the Palace will inform Abaya about the wish list to be able to address it once he assumes his post.

A woman died at LRT-1 Edsa station last week after jumping onto the tracks and was hit by an approaching train.

“We will bring that to the attention of Secretary Abaya… to the undersecretaries in the DOTC and to Secretary Mar Roxas,” she said, noting that DOTC is still under the supervision of Roxas. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)