Comelec Chair Andres Bautista (left) and Commissioner Rowena Guanzon. INQUIRER FILES
Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rowena Guanzon took a swipe at the camp of presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe who claim that some members of the poll body are pushing their own agenda and are colluding to kick the senator out of the 2016 presidential race.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Guanzon said that Poe’s spokesperson Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian had been making false accusations because the commission did not rule in Poe’s favor and upheld the rulings of the First and Second Divisions to disqualify her.
Gatchalian earlier alleged that there were “certain personalities inside the Comelec” who had “political agendas against Sen. Poe.”
“Siya (Gatchalian) ang magpangalan sa amin. You name us. Puro kayo reklamo kasi talo kayo,” Guanzon told radio dzBB.
BACKSTORY: Poe camp on Comelec decision: Plotters won’t get away with it | Comelec en banc affirms Poe’s disqualification – poll body chief
She added, “May mga kandidato na talo, hindi naman nagrereklamo. Kasi kandidato kayo for president. Anong magagawa namin kung hindi siya natural-born (citizen)? Anong magagawa namin kung hindi niya na-meet ang 10-year residency requirement?”
She said that instead of attacking the Comelec, Poe’s camp should focus on bringing its case to the Supreme Court.
Guanzon also emphasized that the Comelec was just implementing the rule of law.
“Huwag kayo magsalita nang ganyan. Ang batas, inaaral yan. Dito tayo sa rule of law. Kung wala ang batas, ano na lamang ang mangyayari sa atin?”
“Pangalanan niya kami, go ahead. Dapat malaman ng tao kung sino,” she dared.
Guanzon also hit Comelec Chair Andres Bautista who issued a memo telling her to explain why she filed a comment before the Supreme Court without consulting the en banc.
BACKSTORY: Comelec in disarray over Poe DQ cases | Guanzon acts unauthorized, says Bautista
The lady commissioner maintained that she had the authority to file the comment.
“Ipangalandakan pa niya sa buong mundo na mali ako na tanga akong Commissioner, mali naman ata yon,” she said.
“He has no power over me. How dare he,” Guanzon added.
Bautista has directed Guanzon and legal department director Maria Norina Tangaro-Casingal to explain “under whose authority the comment was filed” within 24 hours upon receipt of the memorandum.
The Comelec chair said that if her explanation would not be unsatisfactory, he would be “constrained to inform the Supreme Court that the filing of the comment was unauthorized.”
The Comelec en banc is set to meet on Monday to discuss the memorandum issued by Bautista, among other issues.
Guanzon expects the en banc to put to a vote the issue of Guanzon filing the Comelec’s comment.