New Comelec commissioner not LP’s lapdog, says Drilon
Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Senate President Franklin Drilon on Friday admitted knowing the newly appointed commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Rowena Guanzon but dispelled allegations that she would be used by the Liberal Party (LP) to ensure the victory of its standard-bearer in 2016.
Drilon is vice chairman of LP, which is deemed to pick Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II to be its presidential bet in next year’s elections.
“Hindi ko itinatanggi na kilala ko si Commissioner Guanzon. Siya po ay dati kong kasamahan sa ACCRALAW (I don’t deny knowing Commissioner Guanzon. She was my colleague in ACCRALAW),” the Senate leader said in a radio interview.
“Yan po ay magaling. Pero hindi ibig sabihin, ay susunod iyan sa aming sasabihin. She has her own mind, at ako ay may tiwala na she can and will be independent as a commissioner in Comelec (She’s good, but that doesn’t mean that she will just follow our orders. She has her own mind, and I trust that she can and will be independent),” he said.
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Drilon was reacting to Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco’s statement Guanzon’s appointment in the poll body was just one way of the LP’s move to ensure the victory of its presidential bet.
Tiangco is the interim president of the United Nationalist Alliance being headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, and detained Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
But Drilon said such allegation from the opposition was expected.
“’Yan pong sinasabi ng aming katunggali sa politika, expected na po iyan. Dahil kung wala silang sasabihin, hindi na sila oposisyon. Pero ako po ay naniniwala sa pagkatao ni Commissioner Guanzon (Whatever our political rivals have said is expected. Because if they don’t say anything, then they won’t be considered the opposition anymore. But I have confidence in the reputation of Commissioner Guanzon),” the Senate leader added. IDL
