Guanzon to Poe: Don't sow intrigue among Comelec commissioners

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner on Sunday criticized Senator Grace Poe’s camp for asking chairman Andres Bautista to probe "personalities" within the poll body who are supposedly working to purposely disqualify her from the 2016 presidential race.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon in particular told off Poe’s spokesperson, Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian, for calling on Bautista to identify the individuals who are part of the supposed plan to sabotage the senator’s presidential bid.

“Mr. Gatchalian, are you instigating we'll tell on each other? What do you think of us? We are respectable, intelligent and independent people. 'Wag mo kaming intrigahin dahil 'di kami mga politiko,” she said in an interview with dzBB radio.

Guanzon said the mayor himself should name the personalities within the Comelec whom Poe believes to be intent on derailing her presidential bid.

“Siya ang magpangalan sa amin,” she said.

Addressing Gatchalian, Guanzon added: “Puro kayo istorya, puro kayo reklamo kahit talo kayo. Bakit yung ibang natatalo diyan, 'di naman sila nagrereklamo? Kasi kandidato kayo for president. Eh anong magagawa namin eh hindi talaga natural-born at 10-year resident [si Sen. Poe]?”

The mayor earlier asked Bautista to launch an investigation within the Comelec in light of his reported feud with Guanzon over the latter's filing of a comment with the Supreme Court on the Poe cases without the chairman's signature.

In a statement, Gatchalian said Guanzon's actions only bolstered the senator's suspicion that there are people within Comelec who have political agendas against her.

“These personalities have been driven by political and partisan biases against Sen. Poe," he said.

Voting 5-2 and 5-1-1, the Comelec en banc upheld the First and Second Divisions’ rulings to disqualify Poe’s certificate of candidacy for president after finding that she committed "to mislead the electorate" when she said she was a natural-born Filipino and had the ten-year residency required of presidential candidates.

Poe has asked the SC to reverse the poll body's decisions.

'It's not about Mar'

Guanzon, who voted with the majority, denied she was influenced by the camp of administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in her decision to disqualify Poe.

There were reports that Guanzon is a close friend and relative of Roxas.

“Let me get this clear: This case is about Senator Grace Poe not being a natural born Filipino and not having the 10-year residency requirement. This case is not about Mar Roxas. My vote to cancel her COC was based on the Constitution, the law, and the jurisprudence. Hindi si Mar Roxas ang nakalagay dito at pagdedesisyunan ang kaso,” she said.

The commissioner disputed the allegation that Roxas is her relative, saying her paternal grandmother’s surname was Rojas, and they hail from the Negros region and not Capiz, where the Roxases are.

“Kamag-anak ko daw siya (Roxas). Eh hindi ko nga siya ka-text eh. This is about Grace Poe. Stop talking about Mar Roxas,” she said.

Instead of casting doubt over the commissioners’ integrity, Guanzon said Poe should just wait for the national elections in May.

“Mag-eleksyon na lang kayo at ika-canvass namin ang mga boto. Bibilangin namin ang mga boto ninyo. May machine naman,” she said.

En banc records

In a statement posted on Twitter hours after her radio interview, Guanzon also challenged Bautista to show all the records and minutes of the en banc’s meetings to the public.

“Sen. Poe urges Chair Bautista to probe us. This is my challenge to Chair Bautista, let us open all the records and minutes of the Commission to show to the public how the Commission members, IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, acted in the discharge of its functions,” she said.

Based on the records, Guanzon said it will be up to the public to decide “who among us genuinely live up to the ideals of integrity in public service.”

The counsel of broadcaster Rizalito David, whose petition against Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal was dismissed, also chided the senator’s camp for commenting on an internal dispute within the Comelec.

Manuelito Luna said Poe’s camp is making it appear that the feud between Bautista and Guanzon is “conflagration” when it was only “a little miscommunication.”

“No one should interfere in the row as it is an internal matter for the full Comelec to deal with,” he said.

David's camp has elevated its disqualification case against Poe to the high court. — Xianne Arcangel/ALG, GMA News