MANILA: Top officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said they will not resign or take a leave over allegations of local and foreign bank accounts supposedly owned by an official.
In a press conference at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday, chairperson George Erwin Garcia said giving in to these calls would only validate the allegations.
‘Impossible po ‘yan na mag leave or courtesy resignation ang isang miyembro ng Commission, ano sila hilo? (Taking a leave or courtesy resignation of a member of the Commission is impossible. Are they nuts?)” he said.
He said they will keep mum on the case over the Comelec’s contract with service provider South Korean firm Miru Systems Inc. for 2025 polls automation project which is now pending before the Supreme Court.
‘Talaga naman wala kaming sinasabi tungkol sa merits e. Gustong gusto na namin sagutin mga sinasabi na yun. Problema nasa petition kasi. Covered na kami ng tinatawag na (We are not mentioning the merits of the case. Actuall
y, we really want to answer these. The problem is it is in the petition. We are now covered by the) sub judice principle,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Senior Commissioner Socorro Inting challenged critics to bring their allegations to court.
‘As the most senior Comelec commissioner of the Comelec, I stand united with my fellow Commissioners. I address the accusers of our beloved chairman. You are lawyers, please uphold the rule of law. Do not go down to the gutter. Huwag kayo pumares sa mga marites (Don’t be like gossipmongers). Do not crucify us in the court of public opinion. Crucify in the courts of law because we will be ready to face you with our evidence,” Inting said.
On Tuesday, the poll body’s employees union have expressed its support to Garcia and called the allegations a systematic attack on the institution’s credibility.
Garcia acknowledged the members and workers of the Commission in the main and field offices for their support.
Falsified documents
Garcia said falsification cases may be filed aga
inst those who are behind the release of dubious documents of the supposed bank acounts.
Citing the remarks of his former law professor, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, he said a person “who is in possession of a falsified document is presumed to be the author thereof.”
On Monday, former Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice handed over to Garcia documents ssupposedly containing a list of foreign bank accounts linked to a Comelec official which purportedly came from the Bahamas.
“Ano ibig sabihin? (What does it mean?) Presumed na kahit na sabi na pinadala, kahit sabihin na napulot ko lang sa tabi-tabi. Kahit sabihin na dinala sa bahay ko iyan. Ang sabi sa batas (It is presumed that even if it said to be sent, or it was picked up from somewhere or it was sent to your home, the law says you are) presumed to be the author thereof,’ Garcia said.
He said the National Bureau of Investigation has leads in its investigation into these “dubious” documents.
Source: Philippines News Agency
