Brillantes refuses to identify ‘notorious’ poll exec at CA hearing

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes on Wednesday admitted before members of the Commission on Appointments that there was a "notorious" commissioner in one of the divisions in the poll body, but refused to identify him. Brillantes made the admission when Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano asked him about his past statements in the media that there was a "notorious" and "dreaded" division in the Comelec. "Actually when you talk of this particular division, as far as I can recall I was hitting the second division," said Brillantes. But when Cayetano pressed him for more answers, Brillantes said that the commissioner he was referring to has retired. "I really don't want to mention names... nag-retire na ho (but he has retired)," he said. There were two Comelec commissioners who have recently retired — Gregorio Larrazabal and Nicodemo Ferrer. Both retired last February 2. Larrazabal was assigned in the first division and Ferrer in the second division. Together with Ferrer in the second division were Commissioners Elias Yusoph and Lucenito Tagle. Sen. Franklin Drilon, who was present during the hearing, vouched for Larrazabal's integrity. "I can attest to the integrity and decency of Larrazabal," he said. Ferrer was previously accused of being in a taped conversation with former Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno regarding an alleged plot to rig the May 10, 2010 automated elections. He denied the accusation. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News