The powerful Commission on Appointments swiftly confirmed yesterday the appointment of former Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II as the first Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary.
Sen. Bong Revilla described the CA information and communications technology committee decision to recommend the confirmation of Honasan’s appointment to the CA in its plenary session as record-breaking.
The CA committee chaired by Rep. Genaro M. Alvarez Jr. took just three minutes to approve a motion favorably recommending Honasan’s confirmation after hearing the motions of San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo B. Zamora, CA vice chairman, and Sen. Joel Villanueva.
Zamora said the 12-man House of Representatives contingent to the CA interviewed Honasan for one hour and 30 minutes at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City last Tuesday and found no issues against him.
Honasan, according to Zamora, is extremely qualified and fit for the DICT post, a new Cabinet post under the Duterte administration.
Finding no opposition from committee members, Alvarez recommended that Honasan’s appointment be confirmed as a new member of the Duterte Cabinet.
Senate President Vicente C. Soto III, who presided over the CA plenary session as concurrent CA chairman, said he was honored presiding over the session as Zamora and seven senators seconded a motion to have a former colleague’s appointment confirmed.
Neophyte Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go delivered the longest second the motion speech where he listed the very high scholastic rating of Honasan during his days at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City and of his being morally upright and physically fit before and during his 21-year stint at the Senate.
Honasan said after the hearing that he is following President Duterte’s marching orders for the DICT that the country must have a safe, fast, and secure telecommunications system. (Mario Casayuran)