Comelec en banc accepts Lim’s resignation from campaign finance office

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has accepted the resignation of senior Commissioner Christian Robert Lim as head of the Campaign Finance Office (CFO).

The decision was reached during the poll body's regular en banc meeting on Tuesday.

"Tinanggap ng en banc kanina 'yung resignation ni Comelec Comm. Christian Robert Lim bilang pinuno ng Campaign Finance Office—with regret. In fact, we expressed our gratitude to him for all the work he has done in respect of campaign finance," poll chief Andres Bautista told reporters after the meeting.

Bautista: En banc accepted "with regret" Lim's resignation as CFO head. Exec. Dir. Jose Tolentino to serve as OIC. pic.twitter.com/vQPDjbjrgr

— R-A. Dioquino (@AicaDioquino) June 21, 2016

With the irrevocable resignation effective on Monday, the en banc appointed Comelec executive director Jose Tolentino as officer-in-charge of the said office.

"Kasi ngayon maraming dapat gawin, [gaya ng] pagbibigay ng mga certificate of compliance [sa mga magfa-file na kandidato], so 'yugn mga ganiyan, dapat agad aksyunan," Bautista said.

He added: "Siya (Tolentino) muna ang officer-in-charge habang pinag-uusapan ng en banc kung sino ang papalit kay Commissioner Lim, kasi mabigat na responsibilidad 'yan at gusto malaman ng en banc kung anong extent ng functions nu'ng opisina para rin malaman kung sino ang karapat-dapat na pumalit."

Bautista said the en banc may look into appointing a "permanent employee" instead of another commissioner, who has a fixed term.

In a letter filed Monday afternoon, Lim tendered his resignation following the "policy shift" that allows candidates and political parties that failed to meet the June 8 deadline to still file their statements of contributions and expenditures (SOCEs).

LOOK: @COMELEC Comm. Christian Robert Lim's irrevocable resignation letter | via @Joseph_Morong
pic.twitter.com/5PQws0yoLR

— GMA News Breaking (@gmanewsbreaking) June 21, 2016

Lim, in his capacity as CFO head, recommended that the en banc deny giving such an extension particularly the request filed by the Liberal Party and its standard-bearer Mar Roxas.

The poll body, however, ruled to grant the parties an extension until June 30 via split vote, 4-3. This allows filing without penalties.

"Given the Commission's policy shift resulting from granting the request for extension without any sanctions on the erring candidates and parties—which I had expressly dissented from and is now incongruent with my own views on the matter—I believe that I am unsuitable to continue with my duties both as the concurrent head and Commissioner-in-Charge of the Campaign Finance Office," Lim wrote in a memorandum to the en banc.

In a chance interview before he filed his resignation, Lim told reporters that granting an extension was "illegal" as it "is tantamount to an amendment of the law." —NB, GMA News