Article by:
Azer Parrocha
MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said new Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Saidamen Balt Pangarungan is good and has vast experience in public service.
In a prerecorded interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy aired Saturday on SMNI, Duterte acknowledged issues over Pangarungan’ appointment because they both graduated from San Beda University.
“Ang inaano is ini-issue lang nila sa akin diyan (They’re making an issue out of it) because he's from San Beda also. Sa totoo lang hindi ko nakita 'yan. Hindi ko nakita. Ni hindi ko nakita na... Hindi ko talaga nakita (But in reality, I’ve never met him),” he said.
“I know this -- he's a Maranao. He's good. He's a lawyer, at saka marami na itong dinaanan na sa gobyerno (and he has served many posts in government),” he added.
Duterte said he believes Pangarungan would address issues hounding the Comelec including ballot printing which was reportedly not opened to election observation groups.
“I don't know what would be the decision of the new chairman. It's a... They're being... They are embroiled in this thing so I'm sure that he would have something to say,” he said.
Pangarungan, former secretary of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), finished his Liberal Arts degree in 1971 and Law in 1976 at the San Beda College as a consistent college scholar.
He was a former governor of Lanao del Sur province from 1988 to 1992.
He was also appointed as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary under the administration of President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.
‘Neutral choice’
Meanwhile, Duterte also defended the appointment of veteran election lawyer George Garcia as Comelec commissioner.
Garcia was the lawyer who represented presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his 2016 VP electoral protest.
He described Garcia’s appointment as a “neutral choice.”
“Ito namang si (This) Garcia, would you believe it? He's a neutral choice para sa akin kasi ito 'yung... (for me because) As a matter of fact, he was the... He has always been the lawyer of the late Boy Nograles ito si Garcia (Garcia has always been the lawyer of former House Speaker Prospero Nograles),” he said.
Earlier, acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar assured that the selection of Comelec officials underwent a merit-based vetting process.
“Dapat respetuhin natin ang prerogative ng Pangulo. Hindi naman ito basta-basta na pinipili. Napakahabang proseso at mayroon ngang (We should respect the prerogative of the President. He doesn’t just select them. It is a long) vetting process. It’s not easy to choose an appointee na tatagal sa isang (that would last in a) quasi-judicial independent body like the Comelec,” he said. (PNA)
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