Padaca defends Aquino bailout

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Grace Padaca. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Even if President Aquino shelled out his own money to post bail for her, election commissioner Grace Padaca on Tuesday insisted that this did not mean she would do Malacañang’s bidding.

“The move of the President did not affect my independence as commissioner of the Comelec,” Padaca posted on her Facebook account on Tuesday.

“I have been serving the Comelec for one year and three months and I have not known any complaints about my independence,” Padaca added. She was apparently reacting to her being mentioned in a privilege speech of Sen. Bong Revilla on Monday as an example of the President’s supposed preferential treatment of his allies.

Padaca, who is facing graft and malversation charges at the Sandiganbayan, said that the P70,000 bail that the President had paid was forfeited last October when she failed to appear in court, prompting the Sandiganbayan to issue a warrant of arrest against her and order the forfeiture of the bail paid by Aquino.—Niña P. Calleja

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