THE House of Representatives filled up the composition of the Commission on Appointments (CA) after naming 12 members of the 25-man body whose duty is to confirm all appointments made by the President.
Although four of the 12 members are from the Lakas-Kampi party, only one represents the minority since the other three earlier voted for Representative Feliciano Belmonte as House Speaker making them members of the majority coalition.
Representative Simeon Datumanong (second district, Maguindanao) is the sole representative of the House minority while Representatives Roilo Golez (second district, Paranaque City), Antonio Del Rosario (first district, Capiz), Rosendo Labadlabad (second district, Zamboanga del Norte), Erineo Maliksi (third district, Cavite), Rex Gatchalian (first district, Valenzuela City), Luis Villafuerte (third district, Camarines Sur), Ferjenel Biron (fourth district, Iloilo), Rodante Marcoleta (Alagad party-list), Rodolfo Antonino (fourth district, Nueva Ecija), Antonio Alvarez (first district, Palawan) and Pedro Romualdo (lone district, Camiguin) will represent the majority party. The other three Lakas-Kampi members are Alvarez, Antonino, and Romualdo.
Senior Deputy Minority leader Danilo Suarez admitted there was haggling on the part of Lakas-Kampi since some lawmakers from the opposition wanted to share the term.
“We would like some to share term but the (House) speaker was committed to the four (Lakas-Kampi members) having full-term,” explained Suarez.
The CA is composed of the Senate President as ex-officio chairman and 12 members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate elected Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Joker Arroyo representing the minority, and Senate Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Floor Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, Senators Franklin Drilon, Gringo Honasan, Ralph Recto, Sergio Osmena III, Edgardo Angara, Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Francisco "Chiz" Escudero and Miriam Defensor-Santiago representing the majority.
Senate President Enrile is already informed of the appointments, Speaker Belmonte told reporters in his weekly briefing.
“I have informed Senator Enrile that we have already constituted our CA contingent and we are ready to work with him in the Senate counterpart," he said.
Electoral tribunal
Meanwhile, Representatives Franklin Bautista (second district, Davao del Sur), Rufus Rodriguez (second district, Cagayan de Oro City) Joselito Mendoza (third district, Bulacan), Justin Chipeco (second district, Laguna), Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David (fourth district, Manila) were elected to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.
Senators Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Honasan, and Angara were earlier elected to the Senate Electoral Tribunal. By 2011, Senators Escudero and Guingona will replace Senators Honasan and Angara at the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
Members from each House of Congress are elected based on proportional representation from the political parties and parties or organizations registered under the party-list system represented.
The chairman of the CA shall vote only in case of a tie. It shall act on all appointments submitted within 30 session days of Congress.
House committees
All House committee chairmanships have also been allocated during Wednesday's House session with five committees distributed.
"We are now fully organized," Majority leader Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II told Sun.Star in a text message.
Assigned chairmanships were Representatives Rogelio Espina (lone district, Biliran) to population and family relations committee, Erico Aumentado (second district, Bohol) to ethics committee, Benjamin Asilo (first district, Manila) to People's Participation, Jeffrey Ferrer (fourth district, Negros Occidental) to land use committee and Teodoro Casino (Bayan Muna party-list) to small business and entrepreneurship development committee.
It was earlier reported that congressman Orlando Fua (lone district, Siquijor) would head the ethics committee, the only committee given to the minority party.
Suarez explained that Aumentado was the personal choice of the House Speaker. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)