Cayetano denies questioning Brillantes' appointment for vendetta

Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday denied that he was questioning the appointment of Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. because of personal vendetta. "Ang pinanggagalingan ng aking pagboblock sa kanyang appointment ay hindi dahil sa may personal dito o may kaso (The reason for me blocking his appointment is not for personal reasons or some case)," Cayetano told reporters in an interview on Wednesday. Brillantes used to be a lawyer for retired Associate Justice Dante Tinga, who filed an electoral protest against the senator's wife, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, for supposedly cheating in the May 2010 elections. Cayetano said that Brillantes' appointment was even favorable for their case. "He will have to inhibit himself from this case at hindi naman talaga kami ang nandaya (besides, we didn't cheat)," Cayetano said. If he had a grudge against those connected with Tinga, Cayetano said he would have blocked the appointment of Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle. He explained that Tagle had worked together with Tinga in his law firm. "Hindi nagprotesta at hindi ko blinock ang kanyang appointment sapagkat hindi naman siya operator (I didn't protest and I didn't block his appointment becuase he was not an operator)," he said. Election operator? On Monday, Cayetano said that he will question Brillantes' nomination before the Commission on Appointments because of his ties with his former clients. He specifically cited Brillantes' stint as defense counsel for Andal Ampatuan Sr., the purported mastermind of the Maguindanao massacre. "What was his role with the Ampatuans? What was his role as lawyer to many cases that people think he is a miracle worker?" he said. Brillantes, who served as President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s legal counsel in the last presidential elections, took his oath of office Sunday afternoon before Supreme Court Associate Justice Eduardo Nachura. Brillantes replaced Jose Melo, who was supposed to retire in 2015. Brillantes will serve the unexpired term of Melo. From 1978 to 1986, Brillantes served as legal counsel of the Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Group of Companies. Cojuangco ran during the 1992 presidential elections but lost. In 1986, Brillantes became the managing director at the Brillantes, Nachura, Navarro, Jumamil & Arcilla Law Offices and went on to become a senior partner in his law firm. Brillantes served as the general counsel of the political party Nationalist People's Coalition, which Cojuangco heads as chairman emeritus, from 2001 to 2006. Since 2006, he has been a legal consultant of the United Opposition, which was created by Vice President Jejomar Binay to unite all politicians against then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. - VVP, GMANews.TV