Comelec's Garcia: Suing those questioning poll’s integrity should be last resort

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia on Sunday said the poll body should exercise maximum tolerance against those making accusations about the conduct of the 2022 elections and filing cases against them should be a last resort.

Garcia made the remark in a Super Radyo dzBB interview, after several Comelec officials, particularly poll Commissioner Rey Bulay, warned that the Comelec would seek the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to arrest people who are causing disorder in the elections.

“Kahit sino pwede namang mag-file ng kaso laban sa amin, pupuwede din kaming mag-file ng kaso doon sa mga talagang nagsa-sabotahe. Pero sa akin, that will have to be exercised sa extreme na, ‘yung talagang sobra na, ‘yun bang talagang kakaiba na ‘yuung nangyayari at ginagawa na kinukwestiyon na ‘yung integridad ng ating halalan,” Garcia said.

“That should be the last weapon and the last resort that the Comelec should be doing. At this point, maximum tolerance,” he added.

(Anyone can file a case against us, and we can also file a case against those who are really sabotaging the elections. But to me, that will have to be exercised in extreme circumstances, that they are really questioning the integrity of our elections.)

While he respected Bulay's views, Garcia said that for him, criticisms against the Comelec are welcome as long as they are not fake news.

“Ako personally, sa akin naman po, welcome na welcome po ang lahat ng komento at welcome na welcome ang lahat ng pagtuligsa sa Commission on Elections. ‘Yan po ay welcome dahil ‘yan ay nakakatulong sa amin, nakaka-lead sa amin kung ano ang dapat gawin. Basta lang po, ‘yung tunay lang, ‘wag ‘yung fake news,” he said.

(For me, all comments and criticisms of the Commission on Elections are very welcome because those help us and lead us on what we should do. However, these comments should be truthful and not fake news.)

Garcia then called on the public to listen to mainstream media and not to solely depend on information disseminated through social media.

The Comelec had earlier established the Task Force Kontra Fake News to combat disinformation and counter any attempt to undermine the credibility of the electoral process. — DVM, GMA News