MANILA, Philippines — 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.
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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.
“And during the last elections, if we can remember, the commissioners of the Comelec was not complete. They were only four,” he pointed out. He explained that if one of the commissioners dissented, they will lack quorum.
So far, the Comelec has resolved 9,000 cases related to the past elections and they have pending 2,000 more.
Nuisance candidates
Garcia said they already called for a meeting with chiefs of Comelec offices to set a timetable to resolve cases, at least on those concerning nuisance candidates.
“We commit that if the filing is in October 2024, within the same year, December 2024, before the ballots are printed, we will resolve all nuisance candidates cases,” the poll commissioner chief said.
“This is so those who should not have won will not be proclaimed or votes for the true winner will not be counted immediately because they went to a nuisance candidate,” Garcia continued.
Degamo, 56, is the latest target in the Philippines' long history of attacks on politicians. He is at least the third to be shot since last year's general election.
Former politicians have also been killed since the start of the Marcos Jr. administration, but the president said that some of these may not be due to politics.
He believes, however, that the killing of the Negros Oriental governor, whom he referred to as his ally, is “purely political.” Marcos has since ordered authorities to identify "hotspots" — following a model used in elections — and to dismantle private armies.
Meanwhile, four suspects have been charged with murder and frustrated murder charges before a Negros Oriental court over Degamo’s death. Hot pursuit operations within the province also continue.