Renato Reyes Blames President Duterte Over CA Rejection of Judy Taguiwalo as DSWD Secretary

Bayan (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. blamed no less than President Rodrigo Duterte for the rejection of Judy Taguiwalo's appointment as DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) this Wednesday, August 16. He joined other militant group leaders who expressed their disappointment on the matter.




"News sites have reported the Commission on Appointments (CA) has rejected the appointment of DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo. Once again, vested interests and bureaucrat capitalism triumph over good governance, pro-people policies and genuine service. This one is on Duterte as it is on the CA." Renato Reyes wrote on his Facebook page.

"The rejection exposes the utter bankruptcy of the current ruling system and the reactionary character of the Duterte regime. The President could have asked his allies in Congress to confirm Judy yet he again chose to "bend the knee" to pork barrel lawmakers, neoliberal economic managers and the militarists in his cabinet." The leftist group leader added.

"He chose business-as-usual, reactionary politics over genuine change. Totoong bulok ang sistema at ang namamahala dito. We thank Judy for her service and look forward to working with her in other arenas in the struggle for genuine change. #SalamatJudy at tuloy ang laban!" Reyes said further, accusing President Duterte as ultimately responsible for Taguiwalo's rejection.

Taguiwalo was rejected by CA in a closed-door by a majority vote of 13, as required by law. The voting was done through secret ballots submitted by the 25-member CA, composed of 12 House Representatives and 13 senators. Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III acted as chairman of the bicameral body, but only votes in case of a tie.

Must Read: * Netizens Urge Judy Taguiwalo to Run for Senator in 2019, After CA Rejection as DSWD Secretary

Meanwhile, Liberal Party (LP) president, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said that he, and his other party members Franklin Drilon and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, all voted for Taguiwalo's confirmation. Senators Ralph Recto, Sonny Angara, Loren Legarda and Miguel Zubiri said they also voted the same.



In front of her supporters after her rejection, Taguiwalo said that not even one congressman-member has voiced their support for her appointment. Nevertheless, the leftist official said she believes that one major reason why her appointment was rejected is because of her opposition to the tax reform proposal, which she earlier dubbed as anti-poor.

Contributed by Renato Pasayao