Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson refused a proposal from Sen. Rodante Marcoleta that would have had both lawmakers stand down during the Commission on Appointments’ deliberations on senior military and diplomatic promotions, dismissing the offer as a matter of pride rather than substance.
At the heart of the dispute was a trade Marcoleta floated: he would drop his objection if Lacson agreed to take back the manifestation calling for the quick confirmation of the affected officers. Lacson would have none of it.
“Gusto niya, hindi raw siya mag-object, basta i-withdraw ko rin ang manifestation (ko). Ano siya, hilo? Ang gusto niya, ego yan eh. Para naman pakita niya na in-admit ko mali ang aking manifestation. Pinag-withdraw niya ako. Sabi ko, ano siya hilo? ‘Di ko gagawin ‘yan, ego lang ‘yan,” Lacson said in a radio interview.
The friction surfaced during Wednesday’s CA hearing, where five senior Armed Forces of the Philippines officers and 85 foreign service officers were up for confirmation. Lacson had moved for the panel to act without delay, arguing that the officers bore no responsibility for the holdup, which stemmed from the leadership standoff that had paralyzed the Senate.
Marcoleta raised a legal hurdle. He cited Republic Act 11939, pointing to a provision requiring that an officer have at least one year of active service left before mandatory retirement to qualify for promotion to brigadier general, commodore, or higher ranks. On that basis, he contended the bypassed generals could no longer be elevated.
Lacson countered that the appointments were not new submissions but a re-filing of nominations the officers had already secured before the first regular session resumed on May 25, 2026, framing the special session as a continuation of regular proceedings rather than a fresh start.
According to GMA News Online, the commission ultimately confirmed all five AFP officers and proceeded to approve the 85 diplomatic appointments, which included chiefs of mission and foreign service officers. The delay traced back to the June 1 impasse in the Upper Chamber, which had stalled the panel’s work for weeks.
The Manila Bulletin reported that the CA also granted the Department of Foreign Affairs’ request to excuse 63 of the officials from appearing in person, many of them stationed abroad or carrying out consular and diplomatic assignments at the time of the hearing.
