319 appointees await confirmation before Congress break
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Space Agency director general Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. leads the list of 319 presidential appointees awaiting confirmation by the Commission on Appointments before Congress adjourns later this week.
“Besides PhilSA director general Marciano, there are 318 other officials pending confirmation as of Jan. 27,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, CA assistant minority leader, said in a statement yesterday.
President Marcos appointed Marciano as PhilSA chief with the rank of Cabinet secretary on Jan. 10.
Pimentel added that 289 senior military officers, including 36 generals, are also awaiting confirmation of their rank promotions. They are led by Maj. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, who has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general (three stars).
Nafarrete is the new commander of the military’s unified Western Mindanao Command, which oversees the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao.
Pimentel also mentioned that 10 ambassadors are awaiting confirmation of their nominations: Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, as ambassador to Canada; Christopher Montero, as ambassador to Indonesia; Aileen Mendiola-Rau, as ambassador to Israel; Roberto Manalo, as non-resident ambassador to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, in addition to being ambassador to Iran, with concurrent jurisdiction over Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; Domingo Nolasco, as non-resident ambassador to Estonia, in addition to being ambassador to Finland; Maria Elena Algabre, as ambassador to Hungary, with concurrent jurisdiction over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia; Patrick Chuasoto, as ambassador to Sweden, with concurrent jurisdiction over Latvia; Eduardo Jose de Vega, as ambassador to France, with concurrent jurisdiction over Monaco; Elizabeth Te, as Ambassador to Lao; Marie Charlotte Tang, as non-resident ambassador to Ethiopia, in addition to being ambassador to Kenya, with concurrent jurisdiction over 11 other African countries.
Congress is set to adjourn on Feb. 8 and will not resume session until June 2.