The Commission on Appointments (CA) will bypass and not confirm the ad interim appointment of Erwin Tulfo as Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD), Senate President and CA Chairman Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri said on Monday.

Speaking with the media, Zubiri said this is due to the question on Tulfo’s citizenship and his four counts of libel conviction.

He said they already asked current and former Supreme Court justices “weigh in” on Tulfo’s issues.

“The Commission on Appointments has never confirmed anyone that has conviction,” Zubiri said.

"Not on my watch that we wouldn't study this carefully. We would study the legal implications of this. We have to perform our constitutionally mandate to make sure we vet out the members of the Cabinet that have no legal impediments,” he added.

The Senate President also noted that Tulfo’s appointment would not be confirmed since the Senate would be closed during Christmas break.

Zubiri said President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. must re-appoint Tulfo to remain in his position.

To recall, Caloocan Rep. Oscar Malapitan earlier questioned Tulfo if he had renounced his Filipino citizenship when he joined the United States Army in 1988 during the last deliberations.

Meanwhile, SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta raised the issue of Tulfo’s conviction of four counts of libel.