Senator urges Palace to subject bypassed elections chief to strict reassessment

MANILA, Philippines—Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged Malacanang to reassess the reappointment of elections chairman Sixto Brillantes, who was bypassed by the powerful Commission on Appointments.

“I think they (Malacanang) should continuously reassess. We hope the Palace will look into the hard questions we asked in the CA and eventually have their own ‘roadmap’ towards clean and honest elections,” Cayetano said in a statement on Tuesday, a day after the Palace announced its reappointment of Brillantes.

The senator, who has been opposing Brillantes’ appointment, said he would just want to make sure that the Palace would appoint the right man for the job.

“If the President really wants him (Brillantes) there, let us use the Commission on Appointments as a venue to mold the kind of Comelec and chairman that we deserve,” he said.

Cayetano said the Commission has now more time to look into what kind of election lawyer Brillantes was: “the kind who does not accept a case that involves cheating, or the kind who even helps his clients cheat.”

“We have to find out which of the two kinds of lawyer is Attorney Brillantes. And if it is the kind who is involved in cheating, why make him chairman,” he said.

Besides, Cayetano added, there are numerous individuals who have unquestionable integrity and no “conflict of interest” who can assume the position of Comelec chairman.

One of Cayetano’s complaints against Brillantes was the latter’s lack of sincerity in delivering his promise of reform through a reorganization’ of the Comelec, citing the continued presence of some people linked to the alleged massive cheating in the 2004 elections.