The first major controversy the new COMELEC leadership had was between the present Chairman Sixto brillantes and the former Law department head and now Planning head Department Director Ferdinand T. Rafanan. The issue was not corruption of the subordinate as the Chairman has openly said that Director Rafanan is clean but Director Rafanan on the other hand has said that the chairman allegedly requested him to intercede in behalf of two erring COMELEC officials before the Ombudsman regarding their sentences due to their involvement in the Folder Scam. The Senate and House of Representatives who are usually quick in conducting investigations in aid of legislation did not lift a finger regarding the issue. The second major issue was the removal of the IT consultant of the Chairman by the Chairman himself who incidentally was recommended by Commissioner Gus Lagman, an IT expert himself to his former classmate in grade school Chairman Sixto Brillantes. The issue is graft and corruption involving a contractor who has a pending collectible with the COMELEC amounting to 43 million pesos. Charges and counter charges of bribery have been hurled to facilitate the payment of the said collectible between the Chairman and his former IT expert Mr. Deinla. The termination paper of Mr. Deinla includes possible administrative and criminal charges against the said IT expert.
COMELEC is one of our most controversy filled constitutional body. It holds life and death power over the political careers of politicians and for politicians who make a living out of politics, COMELEC has life and death power over the fortunes of politiicians and their families. Most probably many would agree that whatever the state our country is in right now, it is either thanks or no thanks to the COMELEC! In a related post, I mentioned that the COMELEC is the Human Resource Department of our government in the hiring of our elective officials who practically control our government from the President down to the last barangay kagawad and SK kagawad who claim to possess the sovereign will of the people.
In this score, the Senate and House of Representatives should leave no stone unturned in investigating in aid of legislation what is happening in our COMELEC today! Former Chairman Abalos is being implicated in a case of election sabotage involving former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and am sure many will agree that had former Chairman Abalos refused to cooperate with politicians presuming election sabotage really took place, election sabotage could have not occured. This is to emphasize the power of the COMELEC Chairman and so he must be beyond repute! There is no other government body other than the Senate and House of representatives who could conduct an objective investigation but this will not be easy for them as their political career will be at risk. They should draw their strength however from their sense of patriotism in conducting this investigation and clear the COMELEC of any doubt especially its leadership! Vote buying is the mother of graft and corruption and the present COMELEC leadership like all the previous leaderships I recalled has indicated that they can not do anything about it while paradoxically the only national director who wanted to put a stop to vote buying and has established a reputation in the COMELEC for being uncompromising against graft and corruption has been branded to have a wrong attitude and has been relegated to a less imporatant position!.SOMETHING MUST REALLY BE WRONG WITH THE COMELEC LEADERSHIP AT LEAST AS FAR AS ITS ATTITUDE is concerned!
The said investigation is a must and a most urgent one!
COMELEC is one of our most controversy filled constitutional body. It holds life and death power over the political careers of politicians and for politicians who make a living out of politics, COMELEC has life and death power over the fortunes of politiicians and their families. Most probably many would agree that whatever the state our country is in right now, it is either thanks or no thanks to the COMELEC! In a related post, I mentioned that the COMELEC is the Human Resource Department of our government in the hiring of our elective officials who practically control our government from the President down to the last barangay kagawad and SK kagawad who claim to possess the sovereign will of the people.
In this score, the Senate and House of Representatives should leave no stone unturned in investigating in aid of legislation what is happening in our COMELEC today! Former Chairman Abalos is being implicated in a case of election sabotage involving former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and am sure many will agree that had former Chairman Abalos refused to cooperate with politicians presuming election sabotage really took place, election sabotage could have not occured. This is to emphasize the power of the COMELEC Chairman and so he must be beyond repute! There is no other government body other than the Senate and House of representatives who could conduct an objective investigation but this will not be easy for them as their political career will be at risk. They should draw their strength however from their sense of patriotism in conducting this investigation and clear the COMELEC of any doubt especially its leadership! Vote buying is the mother of graft and corruption and the present COMELEC leadership like all the previous leaderships I recalled has indicated that they can not do anything about it while paradoxically the only national director who wanted to put a stop to vote buying and has established a reputation in the COMELEC for being uncompromising against graft and corruption has been branded to have a wrong attitude and has been relegated to a less imporatant position!.SOMETHING MUST REALLY BE WRONG WITH THE COMELEC LEADERSHIP AT LEAST AS FAR AS ITS ATTITUDE is concerned!
The said investigation is a must and a most urgent one!
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