President Duterte has to issue another appointment if he wants to retain 15 of his Cabinet members who were bypassed.
The appointment of 15 Cabinet members of President Rodrigo Duterte were not approved by the Commission on Appointments (CA) before the Congress took a break for the Halloween.
Technically, it is called a “bypass”, which happens when the Congress adjourns session or goes on a recess without the Commission on Appointments approving the appointment.
The two chambers of Congress went on a two-week Halloween break beginning October 22.
Cabinet secretaries who were bypassed include Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II, Education Sec. Leonor Briones, Science and Technology Sec. Fortunato dela Peña, Trade and Industry Sec. Ramon Lopez, Natural Resources and Environment Sec. Regina Paz Lopez, and Agrarian Reform Sec. Rafael Mariano.
Also bypassed were Economic Planning Sec. Ernesto Pernia, Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel Piñol, Information Communications Technology Sec. Rodolfo Salima, Interior and Local Government Sec. Ismael Sueno, Social Services and Development Sec. Judy Taguiwalo, Tourism Sec. Wanda Corazon Teo, Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade, Health Sec. Paulyn Jean Obial, and Foreign Affairs Sec. Perfecto Yasay Jr.