Comelec to remain impartial – Garcia

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will remain impartial even if by 2027, the poll body en banc will be made up entirely of appointees of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Monday.

“Perhaps, we have already proved our impartiality in all instances,” Garcia said, partly in Filipino, during an interview at Palacio del Gobernador.

“It even came to a point that yours truly inhibited in cases which may involve, especially the President, when he had disqualification cases,” the Comelec chairman, a veteran election lawyer who once served as Marcos’ former legal counsel, pointed out.

The Comelec en banc resolves election cases like disqualification cases and other election-related offenses.

“By 2027, the present administration will be able to appoint all the members of the commission en banc,” Garcia said.

Commissioners Socorro Inting and Marlon Casquejo officially retired on Sunday, Feb. 2.

Marcos now has to appoint two other commissioners in their place to fill the vacancies in the six-commissioner body.

Garcia said that Marcos may do an ad interim appointment only after “next week.”

“That’s my prediction because next week the Congress will no longer have its session,” he noted.

Despite this Garcia said the Comelec could still carry out its responsibilities as he noted that the remaining four commissioners are still enough for the en banc’s quorum.

“Even if a vote goes two-two, the chairman can always break the tie,” Garcia pointed out.

In 2022, Marcos appointed Garcia as chairman and Nelson Celis and Ernesto Maceda Jr. as commissioners.

The two other commissioners are Aimee Ferolino and Rey Bulay, who  will retire on Feb. 2, 2027.