FILE PHOTO: Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — The top officials of the country’s poll body have remained hopeful that the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) would decide on their fate based on their track record and performance during the recently-concluded elections.
This, despite a suggestion floated during Monday’s hearing of the CA’s committee on constitutional commissions and offices that the heads of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Commission on Audit (COA), and Civil Service Commission (CSC) should be filled by the incoming administration.
“I leave that to the wisdom of the Commission on Appointments kung ano decision nila dun. Basta as far as we’re concerned, Comelec, we did our job, we tried our very best and we achieved something unprecedented,” Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan told reporters after the hearing.
During the last election, he said, Comelec has recorded the highest voter turn out in Philippine electoral history at 83.11 percent and the lowest election-related violence with only 27.
“Of course we’re able to achieve the fastest transmission of election results on Election Day,” Paranguran also pointed out, “Before midnight of Election Day, we’re able to transmit 98 percent of all the election results. So there’s no way that there can be cheating, hindi mo mache-cheat ‘yan kasi alam na ang resulta eh.”
So when asked if he remains confident of getting the CA approval on Wednesday, June 1, the Comelec chief said: “I think so, I think so.”
“I have a good respect sa mga members ng Commission on Appointments. I think they will look at the merits of what I have accomplished in the last elections and also my previous experiences in government,” Pangarungan said.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia echoed the chairman’s statement, adding they are ready to accept their fate.
“Whatever will happen to us that is a matter of fate and therefore, we are willing to accept, personally I am willing to accept whatever is my fate as far as the confirmation is concerned,” Garcia said in another interview.
The official nevertheless pointed out that the recently concluded May polls was “one of the best elections” so far in Philippine history.
“So positive attitude, positive thinking resulting to a positive event. So in this case, we are always positive din naman that everything good will happen and hopefully Wednesday will be a very good day for all of us, the five nominees in the COA (Commission on Audit), Civil Service Commission and Commission on Elections,” Garcia said.
Aside from Pangarungan and Garcia, the CA panel also deferred the confirmation of Comelec Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, COA Chairperson Rizalina Justol, and CSC Chairman Karlo Nograles.
READ: Confirmation of Comelec, COA, CSC execs in limbo; confirmation hearing deferred
The panel will resume on Wednesday its deliberations on the appointments of the nominees.