No re-raffling of Marcos Jr. cases after appointment of new Comelec commissioners —Jimenez

There will be no re-assignments of cases involving presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at the commission en banc level after the appointment of three new poll commissioners.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said this Tuesday as he explained that the poll body does not "typically" re-raffle cases which were already assigned to a ponente.

“‘Pag na-raffle na sa ponente, nandoon na yon sa ponente,” he said in a virtual press briefing.

(Once the case is raffled to a ponente, it will stay with the ponente.)

"Ponente" is a term for a person who is assigned to write the decision in a particular case.

“As I know, ang aming practice is that once it is raffled to a ponente, it stays with the ponente. So even if there is a new entrant to the commission hindi na…siya magkakaroon ng re-raffle (there will no be re-raffling of cases),” he added. “This is the typical flow of things pagdating sa ganyang usapan (when it comes to these matters).”

But Jimenez said it is up to the commissioners if they will cast their vote on the cases which were already raffled off to a ponente prior to their appointment

“That would be up to them kasi (because) remember the ponente will take into consideration in writing the decision the discussion of the commissioners,” he said.

“Ngayon, kung gusto nilang may say diyan or they say na ‘Wala naman ako d’yan pwede na ako mag-no part,’ puwede ‘yon,” he added.

(Now, if they want to have an opinion on the case or say that "I have no part on that," it will be allowed.)

The Comelec spokesperson said the matter would have to be discussed by the commission itself as there is no “hard and fast rule” regarding this situation.

In the same briefing, Jimenez appealed to the public to give the new commissioners a chance to prove that they are impartial and neutral in resolving matters pending before the Comelec.

He made the statement as the appointment of election lawyer George Garcia as one of the new poll commissioners drew criticisms.

Garcia is a known election lawyer whose former clients include presidential candidates Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and former senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., Senators Grace Poe and Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III.

Marcos is facing at least seven petitions against his presidential bid before the Comelec.

Of the seven petitions, six had already been junked by the Comelec divisions.

Only the disqualification case filed by Pudno Nga Ilokano remains pending before a Comelec division.

At least five petitioners have already filed their respective motions for reconsideration on the junked petitions against Marcos. These motions for reconsiderations will be tackled at the Comelec en banc.

Apart from Garcia, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Aimee Torrefranca-Neri as interim Comelec commissioner and Saidamen Balt Pangarungan as interim chairperson of the poll commission.

The other Comelec commissioners are Socorro Inting, Marlon Caquejo, Aimee Ferolino, and Rey Bulay.

All of the Comelec commissioners who will be sitting in the en banc during the 2022 national and local elections are Duterte appointees.—LDF, GMA News