Ping vows to block Garci ‘protege’ at CA
Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday vowed to block the confirmation at the Commission on Appointments (CA) of newly appointed Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Moslemen Macarambon Sr.
Macarambon,
“If there are two people known to be close to Garci at the Comelec, they are Macarambon and (Lintang) Bedol. (President) Gloria (Arroyo) has again double-crossed us in her call for electoral reforms,” Lacson said in a text message.
“She (Arroyo) may still have plans to cheat in 2010. For whom? We have to watch out. We will surely oppose his confirmation at the CA,” Lacson said, dismayed over what he described as renewed attempts by the Arroyo administration to undermine the credibility of the Comelec.
“This is the last favor which Garci asked from GMA, to appoint Macarambon,” Lacson said.
Lacson threatened to invoke Section 20 of CA rules which provides that “any member may move for the suspension of action by the commission on any nomination or appointment favorably recommended by a standing committee and the chair shall suspend the consideration of said nomination or appointment.”
An independent source from
“Just received reliable information that Macarambon’s padrino is Garcillano,” the source told The STAR.
The same source revealed that Macarambon is not in any way related to Benasing Macarambon, former Lanao del Norte congressman, but the Iligan judge enjoys the backing of a highly influential clan in Lanao del Sur’s second district and a justice who graduated from the University of the East.
Caught by surprise
Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento confirmed yesterday President Arroyo had appointed Macarambon as the newest commissioner of the poll body.
“I was informed by a fellow commissioner that a certain Moslemen Macarambon was appointed. I think the Comelec got the information at around 2:30 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday),” Sarmiento said.
An insider said that Comelec officials were caught by surprise by Macarambon’s appointment because he was not in the list of nominees submitted by Malacañang to the poll body for comment.
On the list were former senator Rene Saguisag and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, both lawyers of pardoned former President Joseph Estrada, Dean Amado Valdez of the University of the East-College of Law, Howard Calleja of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Comelec Law Department head Alioden Dalaig and one Severo Maluenda.
Sarmiento admitted not knowing Macarambon, but noted that the appointment is “welcome” as it ensures the “representation of our Muslim brothers” in the Comelec.
He added that Macarambon is considered an “ad interim appointee” because the appointment was made when Congress is not in session.
“When the Congress resumes session, he will be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments,” he said.
Another source said that Macarambon is backed by one of two influential Muslim groups – the Maranaoans, who were lobbying for a vacant post at the Comelec.
“I just cannot understand why the Maranaoans were chosen over the Maguindanaoans. But given that, Judge Macarambon’s appointment to Comelec is only out of political consideration,” the source said.
According to election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, the appointment of a Muslim to the Comelec is not mandated by law.
“But it has become a tradition - or maybe as respect to the Muslims – that a Muslim gets a Comelec seat,” Macalintal said.
Not an ‘unknown’
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye provided reporters with a list of credentials of Macarambon, who has been criticized by some opposition groups for supposedly being an “unknown.”
Bunye also clarified that no Comelec chairman has been appointed since there are only four months left in the term of former chairman Benjamin Abalos, who abruptly resigned following the Senate investigation into the cancelled $329-million national broadband deal with
Aside from being the Presiding Judge of Branch 4 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in
He was a professor of political and constitutional law at the
In the 1980s, Macarambon was a consultant at the Laguna Lake Development Authority, legal officer at the National Housing Authority and taught at St. Michael’s College in
Macarambon, who was born in Saguiran, Lanao del Sur on
He took up college at the Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) in
He was awarded by the Philippine Trial Lawyers Association as One of Ten Outstanding RTC Judges in 1997 and is also a Hall of Fame Awardee of the University of the East Law Alumni Association in 2003.
‘Qualified and clean’
Macarambon, for his part, said he was not surprised by his appointment to the Comelec.
In an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel, Macarambon said he is qualified to become the new Comelec commissioner. “I’m not surprised because I am qualified to the post. I applied more than a year ago and I have been a Regional Trial Court judge for more than 18 years. I was recommended by the former chief justice of the Supreme Court,” Macarambon said, adding that his record is “clean.”
Macarambon also denied that he is a protégé of Garcillano, as he asked his critics to give him the benefit of the doubt to prove himself.
“I know Garcillano but I don’t think he knows me. I am not the protégé of the commissioner with due respect to him,” he said.
In another development, the Comelec yesterday assured that suspended Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol is not yet off the hook as far as his criminal and administrative liability regarding the results of the May 14 polls in the province is concerned.
Commissioner Sarmiento said they have directed the Comelec’s law department to speed up investigation of the “infidelity in the custody of documents” case that could be filed against Bedol.
The case stemmed from Bedol’s unlawful assumption of the poll documents from Maguindanao, which were eventually lost.
Last Aug. 7, the poll body had convicted Bedol of indirect contempt because of his failure to attend a series of Comelec hearings on the Maguindanao elections. - With Sheila Crisostomo, Paolo Romero, abs-cbnnews.com
- Latest
- Trending
