Aquino recalls midnight appointmentsBy Thea Alberto – August 4th, 2010
By Thea Alberto, Yahoo! Southeast Asia
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino recalled midnight appointments made by the previous administration during a government ban.
Aquino issued Executive Order No. 2, “recalling, withdrawing, and revoking appointments issued by the previous administration in violation of the constitutional ban on midnight appointments, and for other purposes.”
The EO cited Sec. 15, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution that prohibited the President from appointing anyone two months prior to the presidential elections and up to the end of his or her term.
According to the EO, government records showed that a number of appointments were made on or about 10 March, which was “in complete disregard of the intent and spirit of the constitutional ban on midnight appointment and which deprives the new administration of the power to make its own appointment.”