New Comelec chief: Get to know me first before judging

(Updated 9:51 p.m) On his first day on the job, newly appointed Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Sixto Brillantes asked his critics to get to know him first before judging him. "Kilalanin muna ninyo ako bago ninyo ako [husgahan]. Wala pa naman akong alam na ginagawang masama (Know me first before judging me. I haven’t done anything wrong)," Brillantes told reporters during his first briefing at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila on Monday. Brillantes, who served as President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s legal counsel in the last presidential elections, replaced Jose Melo, who sought early retirement. Melo was supposed to retire in 2015. Brillantes will serve the unexpired term of Melo. "Iwanan na ninyo ako, wala na kayo mahihingi sa akin (I told them to leave me because they can’t get anything from me)," Brillantes said, referring to his former clients. Earlier in the day, Brillantes assured the public that he will not influence any election case he was handling as a private election lawyer. [See: New Comelec chief to inhibit self from his previous cases] Brillantes, who took his oath of office Sunday afternoon before Supreme Court Associate Justice Eduardo Nachura, said he has around 25 cases pending with the Comelec on behalf of his former clients. He said as a former election lawyer, he would be able to handle poll-related issues well. “Marunong din naman ako maging fair (I also know how to be fair)." Interviewed by GMANews.TV on Sunday, Brillantes said he aims to improve the automated election system in the country to totally eradicate fraud. Brillantes said he would prioritize the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections in August. He said he also wants to implement a "strict monitoring" of Comelec personnel on the ground. "Tulungan lang po tayo (Let’s help each other)," he said. Brillantes will also be at the helm of Comelec during the conduct of the midterm elections in May 2013 and will also be spearheading the poll body during the preparations for the 2016 presidential elections. Appointment Brillantes’ appointment to the poll body was first bared Saturday night. The other strong candidate for the position was Romulo Macalintal, former election lawyer of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Macalintal reportedly backed out of the race. Brillantes said he had talked with Macalintal and that the latter agreed to be his consultant in issues that the latter may be an expert on. He also said he and Macalintal considered taking the soon-to-be vacant commissioner posts at the Comelec if Justice Sec. Leila De Lima had been appointed as the chairman.
Next month, two commissioners are retiring: Nicodemo Ferrer and Gregorio Larrazabal. Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, one of President Aquino’s political allies, had earlier speculated that two opposing factions within President Aquino’s political circle may have fielded Macalintal and Brillantes as their respective bets. He said Brillantes may have enjoyed the support of the faction that also supported Jejomar Binay, who was not a member of Aquino’s Liberal Party, for vice president in the May 10, 2010 elections. Brillantes said he did not actively seek the position, but admitted that Binay, who won the vice presidency, and Sen. Francis Escudero had endorsed his appointment to President Aquino without his knowledge. He also said LP’s defeated vice presidential bet and former Sen. Mar Roxas met with him last Friday to discuss his nomination. He said President Aquino suggested the meeting because Roxas seemed to have doubts regarding his leanings. Both Roxas and Escudero are reportedly eyeing the presidential post in 2016, but Brillantes said this does not have anything to do with him because his term ends in 2015, a year before the presidential polls. "Ako naman open lang, wala naman ako tinatago kay Mar (I am open, I’m not hiding anything from Mar)," he said. "Deep partisan associations" Brillantes' meeting with Roxas, however, didn't sit well with Christian Monsod, a former Comelec chairman who sees politics behind Brillantes' appointment. "It just shows you that partisan politics was involved in this process," said Monsod in an interview aired over GMA News' "24 Oras" Monday night, referring to the Brillantes-Roxas meeting. He also accused Brillantes of having "deep partisan associations." "He (Brillantes) is an excellent lawyer, there's no question about it. But he has very deep partisan associations," said Monsod. Palace exec: Give Brillantes a chance Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Brillantes should be given a chance to prove himself. Lacierda also saw nothing wrong with the meeting between Brillantes and Roxas a day before the former’s appointment papers were signed. “As party president (of the Liberal Party) he (Roxas) has the right to raise some legitimate concerns. Roxas hopes Brillantes would level the playing field as far as the pending election cases are concerned," he said. Brillantes served as a general counsel of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and a friend of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who defeated Roxas, and Senator Francis Escudero. “Isa sa concern na niraise yung pagiging counsel ng NPC. May mga concern din si Roxas na pending cases," Lacierda said, In a statement read by Lacierda, Aquino said he chose Brillantes to serve out the unexpired term of former chairman Jose Melo because he needs someone “who could hit the ground running." “I have always said that correct identification of a problem leads to the correct solutions. Brillantes’ long career in election law has given him extensive on-the-ground expertise, not just of the law, but also of the systems and processes that govern our electoral exercises," he said. He added the country needs someone with practical knowledge and not just theoretical understanding of election law. He believed Brillantes knows how to fix "defects" in the country's election system. “Chairman Brillantes’ main task now is to ensure an orderly and credible election in 2013 and I am confident that he is capable of achieving this and leaving a legacy that will culminate a distinguished legal career," Aquino said. — with Amita Legaspi, KBK/RSJ/VVP, GMANews.TV