Press Release
March 4, 2015

Transcript of Ambush Interview with Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

Q: On the appointment of vacated top positions in executive agencies

SPFMD: Firstly, the agencies continue to function kahit walang pinuno. Patuloy yan dahil collegial bodies naman ang mga ito. Halimbawa, ang Commission on Audit (COA), patuloy pa din ang trabaho. Ganun din sa COMELEC, patuloy pa rin ang trabaho dahil collegial body ang mga ito.

So in terms of the abilities of the agencies to continue their work, walang epekto.

Q: Sir diba, pag OIC lang, mayroong functions siyang di magagawa?

SPFMD: Ay hindi pwede ang OIC sa mga constitutional bodies. Sa COMELEC, nag designate sila ng acting commissioner among themselves.

Q: Wala po bang epekto iyon sa performance ng mga agencies?

SPFMD: I can't see any, at this point. Certainly it is important that appointments be made, pero sa akin siguro, ang mangyayari diyan ay katulad nga dati na kapag nag-adjourn ang Kongreso, at saka nag aappoint ng heads, o finifill-up ang mga vacancies. Dahilan kahit maappoint ngayon, hindi rin pwedeng maupo kaagad, dahil Congress is not in session.

Ang appointments ay subject sa Commission on Appointments and so if the President made an appointment today, it will not be an appointment per se, but only a nomination. The nominee can't fill up the vacant seat until the consent of the Commission is issued. So what has been done in the past is that upon adjournment of Congress, an ad-interim appointment is issued and the appointee can immediately seat, rather than via nomination. Hindi rin siya makakuupo, until the Commission gives its consent.

Q: Yung kay MILF chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal, he said that Congress should not impose any conditions daw to the approval of the BBL.

SPFMD: I don't think he said that. In so far as we are concerned, we have a self-imposed deadline on June to tackle this BBL. Titingnan po natin kung ang mga probisyon ng panukalang batas na ito ay naayon sa Saligang Batas.

Q: Is it a realistic deadline, given dito sa Senate, the committee chair said he would not resume hearings on the BBL before the reports on the Mamasapano incident have been finalized?

SPFMD: That is a realistic deadline for us, so that is the deadline for the BBL. We will discuss this with Senator Marcos.

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