Cayetano fails to question Comelec chief at CA hearing

Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday failed to question the appointment of Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes before the Commission on Appointments (CA). Cayetano was supposed to grill Brillantes before the CA's committee on constitutional commissions and offices. However, the panel decided to suspend the hearing for lack of time. The CA panel had earlier recommended the confirmation of Civil Service Commissioner Rasol Lamping Mitmug. Sen. Franklin Drilon, who was present during the hearing, proposed that the committee continue the hearing on Brillantes' appointment next Wednesday before Congress adjourns session. Cayeteno had earlier said that he will question the appointment of Brillantes before the CA. On Wednesday, the senator said he had planned to ask Brillantes why he seems to be in favor of manual elections, which he said is very vulnerable to cheating. He specifically cited a recent Comelec decision which says that it will be switching to a manual recount of ballots and Brillante's statement on Tuesday that the ARMM elections will be conducted manually. "Hindi personal ito, ang tinatanong dito ang pagiging (This is not personal, this is about being an) election operator... is he an operator or not?" Cayetano told reporters after the CA hearing. Cayetano said he will also bring up the poll body chief's alleged attempt to blackmail him in exchange for his confirmation. "I will ask this commission to act upon that dahil totoong nagpadala siya ng mga tao sa akin (because it's true hat he sent emissaries to talk to me)," he said. Brillantes, for his part, said that he is ready to answer Cayetano's queries. "I've been ready today, I should be ready on June 8," he told reporters in a separate interview. He added he has already explained Cayetano's assertion that he tried to blackmail the lawmaker. Brillantes served as counsel to retired Associate Justice Dante Tinga, who filed an electoral protest against Cayetano's wife for supposedly cheating in the May 2010 elections. The Comelec chief noted, however, that he thinks the senator will not be biased against him. "I think he is a very fair guy. I know him way back. He will not be very unreasonable as far as I know," he said. Cayetano, for his part, said that he will stop opposing Brillantes' appointment if he provides "answers that will satisfy us that he will be a good chairman." — LBG/KBK, GMA News