MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III’s Senate allies are divided over his decision to appoint Jesse Robredo and 2 other officials as acting Cabinet secretaries.

Senator Sergio Osmeña III said on Tuesday that Interior Secretary Robredo, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, and Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz should undergo confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

"We certainly don't agree with it," he said. “It is unusual because very few people have done it in the past. It's also not good practice.”

He stressed that under the Constitution, anyone appointed to Cabinet positions, as well as ambassadors and generals, “must be subjected to the advise and consent of the Commission on Appointments.”

Osmeña said the 3 Cabinet officials’ acting capacity appointments is “one way of going around the law.” 

“I hope it's not practiced too often,” he added.

He also considers the Palace decision as a “slap” on Robredo’s face. 

“I don't agree that anybody should be designated acting anything because anyway, the president has the power to remove him. He can sign the permanent appointment papers of secretary so and so today and fire him next week and nobody will question his power to do that,” he said. “So, why the designation of acting? Your guess is as good as mine.”

Senator Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, believes that Aquino has the right to name acting Cabinet secretaries instead of fully appointing them to the posts. 

"That's allowed under our system. The buck stops at the desk of the president," Drilon said. 

He added that all Cabinet members are in "acting" capacity. 

"They hold their positions at the pleasure of the president," he said. "They do not enjoy security of tenure. At the end of the day, it's the president's responsibility whether to maintain that particular official." – with a report from Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News