Comelec chief confirmed as Cayetano stands down

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes INQUIRER PHOTO

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes vowed never to take off the St. Benedict medal he wears after he was confirmed by the congressional Commission on Appointments (CA) Wednesday.

Brillantes endured four hearings before the wringer called the CA committee on constitutional commissions before he was finally confirmed, and only after his nemesis, minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, abstained.

“I have been wearing this medal all the time since 20 years ago,” said the 1965 San Beda law school valedictorian.

“I’m not about to take it off now since there will be a lot of problems to face in Comelec,” he added.

Brillantes said it was apparently his prayers to St. Benedict that melted Cayetano’s heart.

Cayetano earlier claimed that Brillantes had assured the hassle-free proclamation of his wife, Lani, as mayor of Taguig in 2010 in exchange for his confirmation.

On Wednesday, the senator decided to back off after Brillantes gave his word that he would resign as Comelec chairman if the reforms he has initiated in the poll body fail to bear fruit in one year. His term expires on Feb. 2, 2015.

“Hindi ko ho hinigi yung position na ito. Kapag hindi ko pa nagawa ang reporma in one year magre-resign ako (I did not ask for this position. If I fail to reform the institution in one year, I will resign),” he said, responding to under intense questioning of Cayetano.

Brillantes said he has already begun an investigation into unliquidated cash advances totaling P100 million, instances of falsification of checks and other “missing funds.”

A few hours before he was confirmed, Brillantes had a face-to-face confrontation with Ferdinand Rafanan, the former head of the Comelec’s legal division, who accused him of “bullying” and conflict of interest.

Rafanan told the CA committee that Brillantes would call him to the chairman’s office and would allegedly tell him: “You have no friends, everybody hates you, nobody loves you.”

Rafanan added that Brillantes was also guilty of conflict of interest since many of his clients when he was still an election lawyer still have pending cases in the commission.

“The more cases (Brillantes) handles, the less he can do his functions because he has to inhibit,” said Rafanan who was sacked last August.

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, the committee chairman, reminded Rafanan that he supported Brillantes’ confirmation during the committee’s first hearing last June.

Brillantes later said he still plans to convince Rafanan to accept the offer of a post in the joint Department of Justice-Comelec committee investigating the massive poll fraud that allegedly occurred in 2004 and 2007.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Brillantes’ confirmation was a very important step in boosting the latter’s internal reform measures in the agency.

“The chairman will be given a chance to demonstrate that the reforms he will implement will be effective,” said Jimenez, who is concurrent education and information department director.

“As we say here, once the chairman is confirmed, many will tremble,” said Jimenez, adding that Brillantes had said he would spare no one at the commission.

Before the hearings began, Brillantes confirmed to reporters that administrative and criminal charges were already being prepared against some 100 Comelec employees with about P125 million worth of unliquidated expenses.

He said the filing of the cases would take place “anytime within the week.”

Brillantes said the commission en banc will be handling the administrative cases while the criminal charges would be endorsed to the Comelec’s resident ombudsman.

The Commission also approved in the plenary the appointment of Commission on Audit chairperson Gracia Pulido-Tan. With Maila Ager, INQUIRER.net and Jerome Aning, PDI

Originally posted at 02:13 | Wednesday, October 05, 2011