MANILA, Philippines?Malacañang has accepted the Commission on Appointments? rejection of Ricardo Saludo as Civil Service Commission chairman and begun a search for his replacement.

?The President has ordered a new search for chairman of the Civil Service Commission and, of course, additional members of the commission,? Press Secretary Cerge Remonde told reporters in a briefing on Thursday.

Remonde said it was too early to tell if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would appoint Saludo to another Cabinet post that would not require confirmation by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) composed of legislators.

?Secretary Saludo and I will talk about that,? he said.

The CA on September 30 rejected the ad interim appointment of Saludo for his supposed failure to meet minimum requirements for the CSC post, including membership in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

His appointment was initially approved at the committee level, but was voted down in the plenary.

Arroyo appointed Saludo CSC chair in April 2008 to replace Karina David whose term had ended.

Saludo served as Cabinet secretary in 2002 before being appointed deputy presidential spokesperson in 2003, and acting head of the Presidential Management Staff in 2004.

Saludo said he would abide by the CA?s ruling.

?We will abide by the ruling ... we just have to accept that?s the ruling and we respect it,? he said.

Saludo was at the Senate but did not attend the CA hearing.

Saludo?s interim appointment would have lapsed on Friday anyway, the last session day of Congress before its month-long break.

It was the first time the CA had flatly rejected a presidential nominee.

Since the CA did not act on the ad interim appointments of Environment Secretary Lito Atienza and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, their appointments were deemed bypassed in Congress.

The CA confirmed the appointments of Commission on Election Commissioners Elias Yusoph and Gregorio Larrazabal and 32 diplomats from the Department of Foreign Affairs.