MANILA – Fifteen Cabinet appointees of President Rodrigo Duterte failed to get the nod of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA).

The CA, composed of representatives from both chambers of Congress, bypassed the appointments of the following Cabinet secretaries after the Congress went on recess for the Halloween:

- Rafael Mariano – Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform

- Emmanuel Piñol - Secretary, Department of Agriculture

- Leonor Briones - Secretary, Department of Education

- Regina Lopez - Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources

- Perfecto Yasay Jr. - Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs

- Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial - Secretary, Department of Health

- Rodolfo Salalima - Secretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology

- Ismael Sueno - Secretary, Department of the Interior and Local Government

- Vitaliano Aguirre II - Secretary, Department of Justice

- Fortunato Dela Peña - Secretary, Department of Science and Technology

- Judy Taguiwalo - Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development

- Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo - Secretary, Department of Tourism

- Ramon Lopez - Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry

- Arthur Tugade - Secretary, Department of Transportation

- Ernesto Peña – Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director General, National Economic and Development Authority

The CA has already approved the appointments of the following:

- Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea,

- Benjamin Diokno (Department of Budget),

- Martin Andanar (Presidential Communications Office),

- Carlos Dominguez III (Department of Finance),

- Silvestre Bello III (Department of Labor),

- Alfonso Cusi (Department of Energy), and

- Delfin Lorenzana (Department of National Defense).

Several members of the Judicial and Bar Council and military men also succeeded in getting the nod of the CA.

The president needs to issue another set of appointments for the bypassed Cabinet members. Failure to do so may lead to the actions of the bypassed appointees being questioned.

Also bypassed were several ambassadors, including the Philippines Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana.