CA suspends deliberations on PCO chief Ruiz’ appointment

Presidential Communications Office chief Jay Ruiz (PHOTO FROMTHE PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE)
MANILA, Philippines – A panel of the Commission on Appointments (CA) has suspended the deliberation and confirmation of Jaybee Ruiz as the secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) due to a lack of sufficient time.
No member of the CA panel, including the Executive Secretary, Presidential Communications Office, and the Philippine Space Agency, objected when the motion to suspend Ruiz’s appointment was raised on Tuesday.
Before the decision was made, Ruiz confirmed that his appointment had yet to be withdrawn by the Palace.
“When I asked Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, he told me to ‘just focus on your job and continue with it because we have not withdrawn your appointment, ‘” said Ruiz.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Ruiz, a former broadcast journalist, as acting secretary of the PCO in February, replacing Cesar Chavez, who held the post for less than six months.
Before his appointment, Ruiz also served as senior vice president for business development at Istratehiya Inc., a company specializing in political management, surveys, and campaign strategies at both local and national levels.