Cacdac appointment as DMW chief bypassed as Congress adjourns session

The ad interim appointment of Hans Leo Cacdac as secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is now considered bypassed as Congress adjourned sessions sine die.

This was confirmed by Senate President Francis Escudero, who is also the chairperson of the Commission on Appointments—the body composed of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives that is mandated to screen presidential appointees.

"Bypassed na siya at kailangan siya i-reappoint ng presidente," Escudero said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday.

(Cacdac's appointment has been bypassed, and he needs to be reappointed by the president.)

Lawmakers will reconvene on July 22 to begin the third regular session of the 19th Congress.

On Tuesday, the CA committee on migrant workers deferred the deliberations on Cacdac's appointment due to a "lack of material time" to discuss concerns about his nomination.

During the hearing, several lawmakers expressed support for Cacdac, but two people appeared before the CA panel to express their opposition.

A conflict of interest stemming from Cacdac's alleged ownership of dummy recruitment agencies was one of the issues brought up by Ferdinand Delos Reyes, one of those who opposed the appointment.

Cacdac denied the allegation.

In April, Marcos appointed Cacdac to head the DMW after serving as officer-in-charge following the death of former secretary Susan “Toots” Ople in August last year. —VBL, GMA Integrated News