Malacañang urged to release shortlist of Comelec commissioner candidates prior appointment

Election watchdog Konta Daya on Wednesday called on the Malacañang to release the shortlist of candidates for Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson and commissioners prior to their appointment.

Journalism professor and Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao made the appeal after the Palace announced on Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Saidamen Balt Pangarungan as Comelec ad interim chairperson and George Erwin Garcia and Aimee Torrefranca-Neri as ad interim Comelec commissioners.

“Ang panawagan namin sa Malacañang, sana naman ilabas ‘yung shortlist kasi tatlo itong pinili pero ano ba ‘yung listahan ng mga pinagpilian,” Arao said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(We are asking the Malacañang to release the shortlist because there were three appointees but who were the choices?)

“Pangalawa, simpleng tanong lang sa Malacañang, partikular sa Office of the President, bakit kahit may demand ‘yung ilang mga grupo, kasama na ‘yung Kontra Daya, para sa public vetting, bakit hindi ginawa ito? Bakit hindi na-involve ‘yung publiko doon sa pagbibigay ng necessary input para doon sa mga kandidato?” he added.

(Secondly, we are simply asking the Malacañang, specifically the Office of the President, why did they not include the public on the vetting even though there was a demand from some groups, including Kontra Daya, for it? Why isn't the public given a chance to provide the necessary inputs in choosing the candidates?)

Arao maintained the Palace should release the shortlist for the “spirit of transparency” and before the Commission on Appointments confirms their appointment.

“In fact, kapag nilabas natin ‘yung impormasyon hinggil sa mga naka-shortlist na mga tao na nakalagak sa Office of the President, makakatulong din naman ‘yan sa deliberasyon ng CA. If we make the information public, wala naman tayong privacy rules or anything na makokompromiso sa karapatang pantao ng mga shortlisted candidates,” he added.

(In fact, when we release the information about the shortlisted people from the Office of the President, that will also help in the deliberation of the CA. If we make the information public, there will be no privacy rules or anything that will compromise the human rights of the shortlisted candidates.)

Garcia, one of the new appointees, is a known election lawyer whose former clients include presidential candidates Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, among other more politicians.

Aside from Garcia, Pangarungan, and Neri, other Comelec commissioners are Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino, and Rey Bulay.

All of the Comelec commissioners who will be sitting in the en banc during the 2022 national and local elections are Duterte appointees.

“We publicly oppose not just itong tatlo kundi ‘yung iba pa na naging [not just the three but the other] commissioners for various reasons. Chief of which would be ‘yung kanilang identification and closeness to the incumbent president,” Arao said.

“Para sa Kontra Daya, kailangan talagang bantayan nang husto ‘yung mangyayari kasi may kwestyon na kami as early as now doon sa quality ng appointment,” he added.

(On the part of Kontra Daya, we really need to keep a close eye on what will happen because we have a question as early as now on the quality of the appointment.)

Malacañang on Tuesday defended the appointment of Garcia, saying it was the prerogative of President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Every president has his or her appointees, at dumaan sa proseso (It went through a process). And the President now has a list of people that he can choose to appoint, and in this case, napasama po ang pangalan ni Commissioner (the Commissioner's name was included)," acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said at a Palace press briefing.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the public should give the new poll commissioners a chance to prove that they are impartial and neutral.

“We have to give each individual commissioner the opportunity to prove themselves impartial and neutral in the exercise of their duties,” he said at a press briefing.

“Ultimately, it really depends on the appointee and how the appointee works himself] once they are in office. And we are very confident that the appointees will be able to navigate that. they will be able to act impartially and fairly in all matters before them,” he added.—AOL, GMA News