Palace, PPCRV hope Brillantes will decide to stay on as Comelec chair

Malacañang on Sunday voiced hopes Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr, will decide not to resign from his post now that he has had the weekend to rest. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace “understands” Brillantes’ recent complaints about his job, saying he is under intense pressure as the elections draw near. “Nagbalak si Chairman Brillantes magpahinga sa weekend. Sana mabuti ang pahinga para sa pagpasiya sa Lunes,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She said President Benigno Aquino III already indicated he does not want Brillantes to quit, especially now that Election Day is very near. Even if Aquino were to find a replacement for Brillantes at this time, she said the new Comelec chairman would have to fit in quickly with less than a month before Election Day. “Tulad ng sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino, less than a month to go before elections. Mahirapan tayo maghanap ng kapalit in time,” Valte said. Brillantes earlier threatened to resign from his post in the wake of a recent Supreme Court temporary restraining order on the Comelec’s resolution limiting candidates’ campaign airtime on radio and TV. The Comelec chief was also quoted in recent reports as saying he had wanted an ambassadorial post but was given the Comelec position instead. He said he wants to become an ambassador should he resign from Comelec and plans to ask Aquino to appoint him as an envoy should he quit the election body. Meanwhile, Valte clarified there is no scheduled talk yet between Brillantes and Aquino since Brillantes had wanted to talk to Aquino about the filling up of two vacancies in the poll body. Aquino had filled the void last week. “Now that the posts have been filled di na niya kailangan makipagusap sa pangulo,” she said. PPCRV urges Brillantes to stay Meanwhile, a Church-based poll watchdog group urged Brillantes to stay at his post. “Sana huwag na siya mag-resign,” Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting head Henrietta de Villa said in an interview on dzBB radio. ARMM teachers’ call for higher pay In a related development, Valte said the Palace will leave to the Comelec to decide on a reported call by teachers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for higher poll duty pay. “Nasa Comelec ang determination kung paano at kung itataas ang extra pay sa election,” she said. — BM, GMA News