Drilon urges Comelec to ‘rule at the soonest’ on DQ cases vs Poe, Duterte
Senate President Franklin Drilon urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday to immediately rule on the disqualification cases against two leading presidential bets, warning that the “continuing uncertainty over the lack of resolution over these cases creates unnecessary political tensions.”
Drilon, vice chairman of the Liberal Party, was referring to the cases against Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
If unresolved, he said, it will pose serious threats to fair and credible elections next year.
“To ensure the conduct of a free, fair and credible election next year, I am calling on Chairman Andres Bautista and the members of the Commission on Elections to rule at the soonest on the petitions against Poe and Duterte on the basis of the merits presented by the parties involved,” the senator said in a statement.
“The election is a basic tenet of democracy and any threat to it should be immediately resolved by the Comelec, being the sole body that has a Constitutional mandate to supervise the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in the country.”
Drilon then called on Comelec chairman Andres Bautista to fulfill “his patriotic duty and lead the Comelec in immediately providing a fair resolution to the petitions.”
The early resolution of the petitions against Poe and Duterte, he said, would give the Supreme Court sufficient time to review and urgently render its verdict on the cases.
“Whatever the Comelec’s decision on the cases may be, I am sure that these will be brought before the Supreme Court for its final decision on the matter. The prompt action of the Comelec will give the high tribunal enough time to put these cases to rest,” the Senate leader said.
“It cannot be left hanging. The earlier the poll body can decide, the better it will be for the country,” he added.
Furthermore, Drilon warned that the continuing uncertainty over the lack of resolution over these cases creates unnecessary political tensions.
He said there are groups that would take advantage of the “inability” of the Comelec to immediately resolve the petitions “to spread lies and disrupt the conduct of peaceful and credible elections in the country.”
“The talks of election delays are nothing but a part of sinister efforts peddled by certain quarters that are out to put a doubt on the minds of the public regarding the 2016 elections. We must not to fall into that trap,” Drilon further said.
