Cayetano withdraws nomination to end Commission on Appointments deadlock

MANILA, Philippines — In a diplomatic move, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday withdrew his nomination to the  Commission on Appointments (CA) to resolve the deadlock over the Senate’s representation in the powerful constitutional body, which confirms or rejects key Presidential appointees.

Cayetano emphasized the need for diverse representation in the CA and proposed his withdrawal as a temporary solution to allow further discussions. 

“May I propose this temporary measure just so that we’ll have more time to discuss the representation in the CA and the interpretation of the Supreme Court (cases). May I ask that my name be withdrawn as a nominee for the CA,” the senator, a former diplomat, said during the August 18, 2025 plenary session.

His decision came after a heated debate between Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, who moved to elect 10 Majority senators in the CA, and Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who questioned the selection process. 

Cayetano’s gesture broke the deadlock, prompting Sotto to withdraw his objection to defer the election of Senate CA members. 

This paved the way for the Senate to elect the CA contingent, namely Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Christopher “Bong” Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, and Mark Villar.

Three more senators from the Minority block will be included in the panel. 

Senate President Francis Escudero commended Cayetano and Sotto for the diplomatic compromise. 

“We thank Senator Cayetano for his magnanimity and as well as thank the distinguished Minority Floor Leader Sotto for his understanding and patience,” Escudero said. 

*CA gets secretaries on track*

Amid the deadlock, Cayetano stressed the importance of CA in keeping secretaries accountable.

“My appeal is for the Secretaries of Energy and DENR (that are important). We all know that it’s not only the DPWH and flood control projects ang nag-cause ng baha. We all know that whether it’s the issue of reclamation, kulang ng Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), o mga ilog na tinambakan, (problema ng) DENR iyan. We also know na ang laki ng problema sa kuryente in some parts of the Philippines,” the veteran senator said.

“The CA is such a powerful tool to get the secretaries on the right track. Kung hindi sila dapat i-confirm o kung ico-confirm, through our collective effort, I think itong flooding at kuryente madi-discuss ng maaga,” Cayetano added.