Comelec vows faster ruling on poll protests
MANILA — The Commission on Elections vowed to speed up resolving election protests, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said, after Sen. Risa Hontiveros raised that slow resolution of poll cases may be one of the drivers behind political assaults and killings.
In an interview with DZBB on Wednesday morning, Garcia said he shares Hontiveros’ belief. “We really should hasten the process of cases here at the Comelec,” he said in Filipino.
This was after Hontiveros made a manifestation before the Senate where she said that they should also look into the “causes and drivers of these incidents [attacks on public officials] so that we can institute the necessary measures.
Hontiveros also filed a resolution calling for a legislative probe into Negros Oriental Governor Joel Degamo’s killing. The Supreme Court in February declared Degamo the rightful winner of the contest for the Negros Oriental governorship following a recount that unseated his local rival, who had previously been proclaimed the victor. Weeks later, the governor and eight others were killed in a brazen shooting inside his house while he was distributing aid.
Hontiveros said she cannot help but think that the killing may be linked to the Comelec’s decision to award Degamo the votes of a nuisance candidate, resulting in the unseating of a fierce political rival Pryde Henry Teves.
Garcia acknowledged that Hontiveros’ observation on the process of resolving electoral cases and disputes is right, but he also appealed for understanding as he explained that the poll body handles thousands of these cases. —