đź“·: PCO Secretary Jaybee Ruiz
The bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) will proceed with its scheduled confirmation hearings for three Cabinet secretaries, despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent directive for all Cabinet members to submit courtesy resignations, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said on Sunday.
“Unless the President formally withdraws the ad interim appointments of the three Cabinet members under review, the CA committees are expected to move forward with the hearings on June 3,” said Pimentel, who serves as CA Assistant Minority Leader.
Before the President’s call for courtesy resignations on May 22, the CA had already scheduled three committee meetings on the morning of June 3 to deliberate on the ad interim appointments of:
- Transportation Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon II
- Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda
- Presidential Communications Office Secretary Jaybee Ruiz
“A courtesy resignation is not the same as a formal resignation. It is simply an offer to vacate one’s position, which the President may choose to accept or reject,” Pimentel explained.
He emphasized that the three Cabinet members are not deemed resigned by default.
“Their ad interim appointments remain valid unless the President formally withdraws them or the CA disapproves or bypasses them,” Pimentel said.
“A courtesy resignation does not, by itself, invalidate an ad interim appointment,” he added.
The 25-member CA – composed of 12 members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives, and chaired by the Senate President as ex officio presiding officer – is constitutionally mandated to confirm or reject key presidential appointments based on merit and integrity.
Congress is set to resume session on June 2 following a four-month recess.#
