Biazon seeks a stop to Section 20 'abuse'

SEN. Rodolfo Biazon yesterday sought to "moderate" the privilege to invoke Section 20 of the Commission on Appointments (CA) rules which allow suspension, even without a stated reason, of confirmation proceedings on any appointee.

"Although this is a check and balance provision that must continue to operate, I believe that it is subject to abuse as can be gleaned with what happened last Wednesday," Biazon said.

"It is simply not fair that the careers of our officers in the AFP as well as the functioning of Cabinet officials and officers of the foreign service will be stalled with the unjustifiable invocation of this rule," he said.

Biazon said the CA rules must be changed to shield Palace appointees from being unfairly victimized by senators "with hidden agenda."

He said Section 20 should only be invoked on individual nominees and not to a batch of nominees.

Biazon said any CA member should explain invoking the rule.

The use of Section 20 is non-debatable and does not oblige the movant to give an explanation.

The proposed changes were prompted after Sen. Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal single-handedly prevented the CA from affirming the appointments of 24 officers of the AFP, Health Secretary Francisco Duque and Comelec Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon, whose confirmation had been endorsed for plenary approval last Wednesday.

Biazon, a former AFP chief of staff, was among those who criticized the invocation of Section 20 by Madrigal, and he even appealed to her to withdraw its use, citing the families and peers of the AFP officers who were expecting of the confirmation.

Sen. Richard Gordon slammed the "dastardly" invocation of Section 20.

"Section 20 is rarely used. It is a weapon of the Senate, by the members of the Congress who are sitting as the Commission on Appointments - a constitutional body. When we use this weapon, it behooves the individual who wields this weapon to explain to everyone why it is being used," he said.

He said that when they were reviewing the fitness and qualification of each senior officer of the AFP, Madrigal did not question all the officers.

"Her invocation of Section 20, at this point, was unjust," Gordon said.

Rep. Rodolfo Plaza (Agusan del Sur), a member of the House contingent in the CA, said Madrigal was just playing dumb so she could have an excuse to get media attention by picking a fight with other CA members.

"Masyado siyang KSP ( kulang sa pansin)," he said. "She is becoming a terrorist in the CA." - Dennis Gadil