SAYING their public squabble has put the integrity of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) under question, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon yesterday dared Commissioner Aimee Ferolino to resign before February 3.
Guanzon is retiring on February 2.
“I challenge Comm Ferolino, let us resign together before Feb 3 since the integrity of the Comelec is now in question,” said Guanzon said in a social media post
In an interview with reporters, Guanzon said all officials of the poll body should quit because the May 9 elections will be affected by a Comelec with its integrity under question.
“If they want, now, all of us, we can resign together. (I) demand that we all resign together and call on President Duterte… That we should resign all together,” said Guanzon.
The challenge was issued amid the repeated calls of Guanzon, who presides the Comelec First Division, for the ponente, Ferolino, to promulgate the resolution of the disqualification cases against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The resolution had been expected as early as January 17.
The public tussle of the two poll officials has raised the impression of infighting in the commission with only over three months before Election Day. It also comes days before the scheduled retirement of Guanzon, Chairman Sheriff Abas, and Commissioner Antonio Kho on February 2.
Ferolino appealed to Guanzon to stop insisting there is a delay in the release of the decision.
“With all due respect, there is nothing to explain because I do not submit to your pronouncement that there is a delay in the release of my ponencia on the Marcos cases,” Ferolino said in a memorandum.
“As a co-equal member of this Commission, I am asking you to please stop conditioning the minds of the people that there is a delay because there is none,” she also said.
She said he has not released the decision because she wants to thoroughly study the cases against Marcos.
“I am judiciously scrutinizing all the attached evidence and understand the substance of these documents so that these will be rightfully appreciated in the process of penning the ponencia,” she said.
“In all that I do, I take into consideration the timelines and the rules. I see to it that I perform my duty within the bounds of the law. The only reason for the unavailability of the resolution after 15 days is that I am reviewing three consolidated cases, among others, thoroughly to craft an objective resolution,” added Ferolino.
She added: “I am asking you to spare the Commission from all these controversies because you are destroying the credibility of the agency, which you claimed to have previously served with integrity and candor.”
Guanzon last week made public her decision to vote for Marcos’ disqualification after hinting of an outside interference in the consolidated cases against Marcos and amid allegations of bribery because of the delay..
She has said Marcos should be disqualified of the crime involving moral turpitude, referring to the case against Marcos for failure to pay income taxes.
Guanzon yesterday said she believes there is already a conspiracy in the continued delay in the release of the decision.
She said this is because it is unlikely that Ferolino will want to cause the delay on her own.
“Commissioner Ferolino won’t do it by herself. She is just a new commissioner. Isn’t she afraid of getting impeached?” she said.
Still, she asked Ferolino to release the decision.
“I’m asking Commissioner Ferolino to let us finish this case for the people. If you weren’t bribed, release it before I retire. So that my name is clear when I retire and your name will be cleared as well,” said Guanzon.
She urged the public to join in her call to have the decision promulgated immediately.
