CA panel defers confirmation of Comelec commissioner

A Commission on Appointments (CA) panel on Wednesday deferred recommending the confirmation of Christian Robert Lim as commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The CA committee on constitutional commissions and offices made the deferment after it ran out of time to hear all the questions of lawmakers who wanted to post questions on Lim. The date of the next hearing on his nomination has yet to be announced as of posting time. During the day's hearing, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano asked Lim on the status of the Comelec's investigation into alleged poll fraud during the 2010 elections. He likewise grilled Lim over his decision to sign a resolution removing Ferdinand Rafanan as head of the Comelec law department. For his part, Lim explained that they had to remove Rafanan from the DOJ-Comelec panel and the law department because he was creating a "difficult" environment for his subordinates and colleagues. Cayetano, however, said that he has many more questions and asked for another hearing. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, chair of the CA panel, approved the motion. Lim was appointed last April and will serve until February 2, 2018. He replaced Gregorio Larrazabal, who retired last February 2011. Prior to his appointment, Lim was part of the legal/anti-fraud group/quick reaction team of the Aquino-Roxas Bantay Balota in the May 2010 elections. He was also part of the legal/anti-fraud group/quick reaction team of Quezon City congressional candidate Vivienne Tan, daughter of business tycoon Lucio Tan, in the same elections. Tan lost to Vincent “Bingbong" Crisologo. — RSJ, GMA News