MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Friday, September 25, approved the nomination of career diplomat Renato Ner Dueñas Jr. as the Philippines’ ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, alongside the appointments and promotions of 35 military officers.
The panel on foreign affairs, led by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, endorsed Dueñas following an evaluation of his background, which includes foreign service postings across the Middle East and diplomatic tenure in Dubai. Dueñas will assume the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Negara Brunei Darussalam with the rank of Chief of Mission Class II.
“Your committee, after deliberating on his qualifications and fitness during the public hearing, determined that he is fit and qualified for the post to which he is nominated,” Lacson said.
The CA plenary also confirmed 24 ad interim appointments and 11 nominations for senior officers, flag officers, and generals within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) following recommendations from the Committee on National Defense.
Representative Jose “Joboy” Aquino II of the Lone District of Butuan City, who heads the defense committee, noted that the panel performed a detailed evaluation of each officer’s track record and military qualifications.
“Through review of their credentials, service records, and eligibility for promotion, the committee is collectively convinced that these 35 individuals are deserving of the ranks to which they have been respectively nominated,” Aquino said.
Meanwhile, joint action by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and the CA Committee on Justice regarding the ad interim appointment of Nesauro Hernandez Firme was deferred. Firme, who has served as the academe’s representative on the council since 2022, was nominated for a term running through July 9, 2030.