JUAN MIGUEL "MIGZ" F. ZUBIRI

Mr. Chairman, first of all I would like to apologize to my colleagues for having an earlier session, for my over eagerness to appoint or to fast track the appointment of our Secretary, my apologies especially to those who were in the meeting before 1:00 p.m.

With that Mr. Chairman, allow me to give my sponsorship speech of Sec. Benjamin E. Diokno.

My distinguished colleagues, the Committee on Budget and Management conducted its first public hearing this morning to hear and deliberate on the ad interim appointment of Sec. Benjamin E. Diokno issued by and submitted to this Commission by Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

As Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Management, it is my distinct privilege and honor to recommend to the Plenary the confirmation  of  the  ad  interim  appointment  of  the  subject  appointee, Secretary Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management.

Named after one of the best Presidents, Sec. Benjamin Estoista Diokno holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Philippines Diliman. After his graduation in 1968, he pursued further studies in various disciplines, and earned numerous post-graduate degrees including a Masters in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines Diliman, a Masters in Economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman, a Masters in Political Economy from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at the Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, U.S.A.

A true academician, Secretary Diokno started his career in government service as a Research Aide at the College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, immediately after his graduation in 1968. He then rose from the ranks in the academic hierarchy, serving the same university as an Assistant Professor in 1973 until his retirement as Professor 10in 2013.

Prior to his appointment as Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management under the present administration, Secretary Diokno was a political and economic commentator, writing twice-weekly for Business World, and weekly for both the Daily Tribune and the Malaya Business Insight.

Secretary Diokno initially joined the Department as Assistant Minister under the administration of former Pres. Corazon Aquino in 1986. He continued to service the Department in various capacities until 1991, as Deputy Minister, Department Undersecretary and Acting Secretary, providing technical assistance to several major reforms including the design and sponsorship of the 1986 Tax Reform Program, and the preparation of the draft legislation for the Local Government Code of 1991.

Mr. Diokno is not new to his current post. In fact, he is reprising his role as Secretary of DBM, having been the Budget Chief during the administration of Pres. Joseph Estrada. In his three-years of holding the fort of government coffers, Secretary Diokno directed the agency towards reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and improving efficiency of public service delivery.

Secretary Diokno also held other positions in public sector, having served as Chairman of the Board of Regents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Local Water Utilities Administration, and Chairmanand Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine National Oil Company. Furthermore, Secretary Diokno served the private sector as an Independent Director of the Asia United Bank.

Mr. Chairman, with his impressive academic and government service and expertise in fiscal policy, the man before us is considered a guru on public finance. As Congress has the power of the purse, Secretary Diokno vowed to be transparent and responsible "keeper of purse". He is among us who understands that the country is deficient in all types of public infrastructure, such as highways, bridges, seaports, airports and mass transit systems. He believes that higher public infrastructure spending is crucial to sustain economic growth, especially in the rural areas and lagging regions. Thus, for the next six years of the Duterte administration, Secretary Diokno plans to maintain spending for public infrastructure to a level of 5 to 7 percent of the GDP.

Secretary Diokno walks with the mantra "what Congress had appropriated, the Executive should have expended". Having said that, Secretary Diokno vowed to end under spending on public goods and services. Towards this end, he will work on increasing the absorptive capacity of the executive agencies in implementing government projects. To attain fiscal responsibility and transparency, the Department under his watch will utilize technology in project monitoring, such as geo­ tagging and drones to check on the progress in the implementation of government projects.

Finally, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has vouched for Secretary Diokno's honesty, integrity and commendable work ethics, and has stated that he is among the type of officials who would over-perform in the completion of his tasks.

This is the third administration, Mr. Chairman, that Secretary Diokno will be serving, which shows that this is an appointment based on merit, and one that transcends politics and personal affiliations.

Mr. Chairman, with the welfare of the Filipino people, especially the poor majority who are left behind, and efficient and effective expenditure of public funds as his primordial concern, I have the honor to move for the confirmation of the Commission on Plenary the ad interim appointment of the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management of the Philippines, Sec. Benjamin E. Diokno.

I so move, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Chairman, the nominee is fondly called “Tita Ganda” in this Chamber,   our very own Mother Earth of the Senate, as we call her.  She is the author of several environmental laws, too many to mention.  She is also our Chair of the Finance Committee; our Chair of our Foreign Affairs Committee; the Chair of the Climate Change Committee.  She is also a former Majority Leader of this Chamber and a three-term Senator and, not to mention, a TV Celebrity.  Mr. Chairman, hindi lang pang artista, pang military pa.  Kung makita mo 'yung napaka-gandang litrato n'ya dito, she will be -- in her age of 38, she can be Miss Philippines in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, ganon kaganda ang ating Tita Ganda. 

Now, as full Colonel, Mr. Chairman, she can be our Pambansang Forest Guard to protect our forest and our environment from those who want to harm it, with the same vigor as our heroes in the military. 

Therefore, it is my honor and privilege to second the nomination of full Colonel to Honorable Sen. Loren Legarda.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, my distinguished colleagues, I have the honor and privilege to stand before you today to second the motion for the Commission to give its consent to the nomination of Commissioner Roland Café Pondoc of the Commission on Audit.

Commissioner Pondoc is known to many as a simple, low-key, dedicated and competent government official.  His stature today is a product of years of hard work, starting from his days as a student, when he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Accounting and when he was recognized as an academic achiever, while completing his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Mindanao; to his days as an academician, serving as Assistant Dean and Associate Professor in his alma mater.

He has completed and passed some of the hardest examinations in the country, including the CPA Board Examinations in 1990 and the Philippine Bar Examinations in 2001.

I would like to also note that the Commissioner, Mr. Chairman, is a fellow Mindanaoan like both of us, a neighbor from Davao.

By the way, he is going to be celebrating his birthday this March 18 and I believe that with the Body giving its consent to his nomination, he will be receiving the best birthday present of his life to date.

Mr. Chairman, with the abovementioned points, I have the honor to second the motion for the Commission to give its consent to the nomination of Commissioner Roland Café Pondoc of the Commission on Audit.

I so move.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Distinguished Members of this Commission, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!

I stand before this collegial Body with great pride in co-sponsoring the nomination of His Excellency Manuel Antonio "Dondi" Javier Teehankee as Permanent Representative of our republic to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, a key position which he previously held from 2004-2011.

A Department of Foreign Affairs’ awardee in 2012 for “Distinguished Service” for his diplomatic service to the country, Ambassador Dondi Teehankee, is a renowned expert in Arbitration, International Trade and Environmental laws.

It is noteworthy to mention that one of the 10-point socio-economic agenda of the Duterte Administration is to continue and maintain current macroeconomic policies, including fiscal, monetary and trade policies. 

Mr. Chairman, the nominee before us is more than competent in carrying out this agenda.  He has the thrust of promoting the interests of our country, particularly, international cooperation before any organization, in his case, the WTO.

He also has committed earlier to support the plight of our farmers and Filipino producers and our products when it comes to equally protecting us at the World Trade arena. That is very important, Mr.  President, because of the work that he will be doing, he will be our front liner when it comes to the fight for equal protection of our products in the international trade arena.

Thus, I second the motion for the Commission to give its consent to the nomination of His Excellency Manuel Antonio "Dondi" Javier Teehankee as Permanent Representative of this Republic to the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland. 

I so move, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. President, I know my colleagues, especially the Majority Floor Leader, asked  us to  refrain  from  giving  speeches and keeping it short, if we must, but I could not say “no” to this opportunity, Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, to sponsor and second the nomination.

Mr. President, former US Army General Norman Schwarzkopf once said, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character.  But, if you must be without one, be without strategy.”

My dear colleagues, I am happy to report that our subject appointee is in possession of both leadership and character because not only does he have the right character needed for this leadership role, General Galvez is also a well-respected strategist who has formulated various tactics and policies for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In his 37 years of military service, he has been entrusted with various key positions and commands.  General Galvez possesses a sterling track record in military service, not to mention an excellent academic record that includes both military and civilian trainings in various distinguished institutions such as the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City, the US Army Infantry School in Georgia, USA, the Australian Defense Force Academy, University of New South Wales in Australia, the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in Massachusetts, USA, and the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City.

I can go on and go on, Mr. President, with the accomplishments of the subject appointee before us today, however, I just want to highlight more, Mr. President, on his valuable contributions for peace in the successful conduct of the Senate Sub-Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law marathon hearings in Mindanao early this year. We thank him and his men for all the support he gave to our Committee and I personally witnessed his dedication and professionalism as WESCOM Commander.

Yesterday in the Senate, my dear colleagues, we stayed up to -- until the wee hours in the morning, 1:00 o’clock in the morning, as a matter of fact, Mr. President, tackling Bangsamoro Basic Law that will hopefully end the decades-long armed conflict in our beloved Mindanao.  There is no other man in this hall that understands this armed struggle better than the subject appointee here before us today.  General Galvez was at the forefront of his way, spending almost six years of his career in the war-torn Mindanao, particularly as:

1)    Battalion Commander of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, 1st  

     Scout Ranger, Regiment, Special Operations Command in 

     Basilan;

2)    Brigade Commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry 

     Division, Philippine Army in Basilan;

3)    Commander of the 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army in 

     Maguindanao; and,

4)   Finally, Commander of the Western Mindanao Command     

     (WESMINCOM),   Armed   Forces  of   the  Philippines  in  

     Zamboanga City.

and led the successful liberation of Marawi from violent extremism.  He has experienced it all firsthand.  He witnessed triumph by neutralizing enemy forces and saving civilian lives.  He also witnessed defeats, with the deaths of hundreds of our valiant men and women in uniform serving our nation with their lives.

He was with us when we visited the MILF Camp in Darapanan and I witnessed the high respect accorded to him by the MILF leadership. 

Therefore, Mr. President, here is a man, your honors, who has spent  all  his  life  training and preparing for war but his heart and soul is for the pursuit of peace and I am honored to have the opportunity to have worked with him for peace.

Mr. Chairman, it is my esteemed honor to second the ad interim Appointment of Gen. Carlito Guanzing Galvez, Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

I so move, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. President. 

It would be an honor and pleasure to second the motion for the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of my fellow Mindanaoan, Mr. Antonio Kho Jr. as Commissioner, Commission on Elections.

I so move, Mr. President.

Thank you very much Mr. Chairman, my distinguished colleagues. I have the honor and privilege to stand before you today to co-sponsor the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of the subject appointee General Benjamin “BenJie” Rasgo Madrigal Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

I personally know General Madrigal, who, before graduating from the prestigious Philippine Military Academy in 1985, also attended my alma mater, the University of the Philippines in Los Baños in 1981, where we both took the same course of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. From there, he proceeded to dedicate the rest of his career, 37 years in total, to the military service where he has made a name for himself as a great leader regarded for his competence and dedication to the service. He has also been instrumental in neutralizing insurgents in my beloved island, region of Mindanao, specifically in Davao, CARAGA, Northern Mindanao and Southern Mindanao. And he was based in Bukidnon as well for quite a while as our Brigade Commander.

On a lighter note, with the onset of Marie Kondo’s recent rise to fame with her KonMari method of decluttering, I am delighted to have found -- many people do not know this, I am delighted to have found out that he is a fellow collector in General Madrigal. He is described to be fond of collecting knick knacks, spoons, mugs, display plates and various souvenir items from different countries, another thing that I share with the good gentleman as I also believe that these items acquired during trips make outstanding conversation pieces.

All levity aside, I stand here today to co-sponsor the confirmation of a man who possesses the skills needed in leading the valiant men and women of our armed forces. General Madrigal possesses a sterling track record in military service, not to mention an excellent academic record that includes both military and civilian trainings in various distinguished institutions. He is a decorated officer whose fields of expertise include military operations, intelligence, resource management, protocol, trainings, communication and correspondence.  I firmly believe that with his vast experience, General Madrigal is the best candidate to take the place of General Carlito  Galvez, who himself is a distinguished gentleman as well as the 51st Chief of Staff of the AFP.

Mr. Chair, with the abovementioned points, I have the honor to second the motion for the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of General Benjamin Rasgo Madrigal Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

I so move.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.