The Commission on Appointments (CA) finally sat on Wednesday, June 17, as Congress opened a special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The meeting is expected to clear pending appointments in the Cabinet, military, and foreign service that have been stuck since the Senate changed leaders.
Why now? The Senate elected a new president — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian — after a leadership shake-up. That change left a backlog of nominees waiting for CA confirmation. President Marcos called the special session specifically to give the CA time to act on these appointments before Congress goes on break.
The CA is a constitutional body made up of members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It has the power to confirm or reject presidential appointments to key government posts — from department secretaries to military generals to ambassadors.
Wednesday's meeting marks the first time the CA has convened under the new Senate leadership. The Palace earlier congratulated Gatchalian on his election as Senate President, signaling the administration's readiness to work with the new chamber leadership to move appointments forward.
What's at stake? Several high-level positions — including some Cabinet secretaries and military officials — have been serving in acting capacities because the CA didn't get to their nominations before the leadership change. A full CA confirmation gives them security of tenure and full authority to make decisions.
The special session is expected to run for several days, but the CA could finish its work sooner if the appointments are uncontroversial. However, some nominees may face tough questions from CA members, especially those from the opposition bloc.
For now, the administration is breathing easier. With a Senate president aligned with the Palace, the path to confirmation looks smoother for Marcos's picks. But the CA isn't a rubber stamp — it has rejected nominees before, and each appointment will be scrutinized on its own merits.
So what happens next? The CA will deliberate on each nominee, hold public hearings if needed, and then vote. If a nominee gets a majority vote from CA members present, they're confirmed. If not, the appointment is rejected, and the President must nominate someone else.
This special session is a chance for the CA to clear the backlog before the regular session resumes. For the thousands of civil servants waiting for their bosses to be confirmed, Wednesday's meeting is a welcome sign that the government is getting back to business.