Comelec’s Garcia willing to serve in next admin if reappointed

Commissioner George Garcia in a media briefing on April 27, 2022, on the first day of Local Absentee Voting held at the Comelec Session Hall, 8th floor, Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros. (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia is willing to serve under the next administration, should he be reappointed in the poll body.

Garcia was asked on CNN Philippines’ The Source Thursday if he thinks he will be appointed under the administration of incoming president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“With all honesty, I do not really have any idea. Wala pa pong (there is no) any indication or whatsoever,” he responded.

“I already said yesterday that if in case an offer will be made, definitely, definitely, I would like to serve this administration, the incoming administration and at the same time, I would like to serve 10 times the Commission on Elections because of the highest professionalism that their rank and file, the employees, and the officials of the commission had shown me during my two months of service on the Commission on Elections,” he continued, adding that the poll body workers are “modern heroes.”

Garcia was the lawyer of Marcos during the latter’s vice presidential electoral protest against incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo.

On Wednesday, the Commission on Appointments bypassed for lack of quorum the confirmation of Garcia, Comelec chair Saidamen Pangarungan, and Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri. The three Comelec officials were appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

For Garcia, it is important that they were not rejected but were only bypassed by the Commission on Appointments.

“Nalungkot ako syempre pero po at the same time nakahinga ako nang malalim at great sigh of relief dahil alam niyo napakahirap naman talagang humarap sa Commission on Appointments. We understand fully the process and at the same time, we fully accept ‘yung nangyari. What can we do if there is really no quorum?,” he said.

(I was saddened but at the same time, I breathed a great sigh of relief because it is difficult to face the Commission on Appointments. We fully understand the process and at the same time, we fully accept what happened. What can we do if there is really no quorum?)

“The most important thing is that we were not rejected by the Commission on Appointments. At least po for the kind information of our people, of our public, we were not rejected. It was just a mere, there was no quorum and therefore, we were bypassed. Wala pong natanong sa amin (We were not questioned). Hindi po kami nag-undergo ng (We did not undergo) what we call as the entire full-blown hearing,” he went on.

Garcia, Pangarungan, and Torrefranca-Neri will continue to serve until June 30 or until Duterte’s last day of office.

/MUF