New Comelec chief to inhibit self from his previous cases

New Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. assured the public on Monday that he will not influence any election case he was handling as a private election lawyer. Brillantes said he has let go of all pending cases he was handling as an election lawyer and insisted that he will inhibit himself if any of the cases reach the Comelec. “Nag-withdraw na ako sa law office ko before I took my oath of office kaya hindi na ako myembro ng law firm na humahawak ng mga kaso so di ako pwede humawak ng kaso. Kung sakaling dumating yan sa Commission, kung nasa Commission yan, di ako pwede bumoto at mag-i-inhibit na lang ako sa lahat na mga kasong yan," he said in an interview on dwIZ radio. (I have withdrawn from the law office handling election-related cases before I took my oath of office. So I am no longer connected with the law firm handling such cases. And if such cases reach the Comelec, I will inhibit myself from those cases.)

Last weekend, Brillantes was appointed Comelec chairman to replace Jose Melo, who resigned effective on Saturday. Brillantes took his oath of office on Sunday. While he admitted his private practice was lucrative, he said he wanted to end his career making a difference for Filipino voters. “Siyempre maiiwanan natin yan maganda talaga ang practice pero tayo ay 71 years old na at patapos ang practice sa election dahil automation na siguro ngayon ang pagkakataon makatulong sa taumbayan," he said in a separate interview on dzBB radio. (Of course we will leave a lucrative practice. But I am 71 years old and I want to end my legal career by making a difference for our people.) He also said he did not have a very hard time accepting the post because he was a widower and his children are all grown up. “Nahirapan nang kaunti pero yan ang tawag ng public service, di natin pwede tanggihan (At first it seemed like a hard choice but I could not resist the call of public service)," he said. Roxas vs Binay Brillantes said he will not interfere in the vice presidential election protest lodged by former Senator Manuel Roxas II against Jejomar Binay. Brillantes is perceived to have the backing of the “Samar" faction in Malacañang, which pushed for the tandem of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and Binay in the May 2010 elections. “Wala sa kamay ng Comelec yan, nasa Presidential Electoral Tribunal yan. Ang protesta ni Sen. Roxas nakabinbin sa PET (That case in the first place is not with the Comelec. It is with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal)," he said. Clean elections Brillantes said his first priority is to ensure clean and honest elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in August this year. His next priority will be to lay the groundwork to ensure clean automated elections in 2016, he said. “Sa Mindanao medyo magulo nang kaunti. Tingnan natin anong gagawin diyan (In Mindanao, elections are somewhat troublesome. We will see what we can do about them)," he said. Brillantes also said he will serve Melo’s unexpired term up to February 2015 and lay the groundwork for automated elections in 2016. “Ang pinagusapan namin kaya 2015 matatapos termino ko but I can lay the groundwork for the 2016 elections. Ang dapat malaman ng taumbayan come 2015 lahat na commissioner mapapalitan na (My term ends before the 2016 election but I can lay the groundwork for clean polls by then)," he said. He added the Comelec’s list of commissioners would have been overhauled by 2016, as two commissioners each will be replaced in 2011, 2013, and 2015. On the other hand, Brillantes assured there will be no mass layoffs at the Comelec. “Mahigit 20 years ako sa Comelec halos araw-araw ako naroon bilang election law practitioner. Kilala ko halos lahat (I have been dealing with the Comelec for 20 years as an election law practitioner. I know practically everyone in the Comelec)," he said. – VVP, GMANews.TV