Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
So who was Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rowena Guanzon lawyering for?
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero asked this pointed question on Monday after Guanzon dared him to defend Senator Grace Poe at the Supreme Court, which is set to start oral arguments on the disqualification cases filed against the presidential aspirant.
READ: Comelec exec challenges Escudero to a showdown in the Supreme Court
Responding to Guanzon’s statement, Escudero said: “I can and will of course defend Senator Grace in the bar of public opinion. I cannot, however, represent her because I am prohibited by the Constitution from appearing before any court or tribunal (as a very “good lawyer, she should know this).”
“Besides, Senator Poe has better lawyers than I who are currently representing her. But I throw the question back at her. She cannot and should not be the lawyer of anyone and clearly, she was not authorized by the Comelec and did not represent the Comelec when she filed HER comment, so who was she representing or lawyering for?” the senator told INQUIRER.net.
Escudero was apparently referring to the Comelec comment filed by Guanzon at the Supreme Court, which was questioned by Comelec chair Andres Bautista. Bautista said the comment was not authorized by the en banc.
“Elections should not only be clean, honest and peaceful, it should also be fair and credible,” said Escudero, running mate of Poe.
“I hope Commissioner Guanzon will henceforth stop and avoid any and all moves or statements that tend to show bias, not necessarily in favor of another candidate but, against a candidate… against Sen Poe. The bullying has to stop,” he further said.
Escudero earlier called Guanzon a “threat to democracy” after she made a defiant stand against the Comelec chair’s directive to explain the filing of an unauthorized comment on Poe’s petitions at the SC.
READ: Escudero: Comelec exec a threat to democracy
Poe is asking the SC to reverse the Comelec’s decision canceling her certificate of candidacy for president because of her citizenship and residency.