Jimenez, Arabe retain Comelec posts amid ongoing debate mess probe — Garcia

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Directors James Jimenez and Frances Arabe still hold their positions despite the call of poll Commissioner Rey Bulay to relieve them from their posts as the investigation on the cancelation of the presidential and vice presidential town hall debates continues, Commissioner George Garcia said Monday.

In an ANC interview, Garcia clarified that as of Monday, Jimenez remained to be the Comelec spokesperson and director of the poll body’ Education and Information Department (EID), a position that is also still being held by Arabe.

“Until today, the investigation hasn’t been terminated. It’s still ongoing. It has not been concluded. There’s an initial recommendation by Commissioner Rey Bulay before going into a full blown fact-finding investigation. Whatever was the recommendation, it’s not yet accepted or there’s no action yet from the Comelec Chairman,” Garcia said.

In a statement on Friday, Bulay recommended that temporary replacements of Jimenez and Arabe be designated after the Task Force PiliPinas Debates 2022 were said to have found reasonable cause to commence a formal fact-finding and administrative disciplinary probe on the cancelation of the final state-sponsored debates.

Garcia said the recommendation has not also been referred to the Comelec en banc yet, and both the poll officials continue to do their functions in relation to the upcoming elections.

“Director James Jimenez was even the one who spearheaded the walkthrough last Saturday in the transparency server for media at the UST. So andyan pa rin po siya. Wala pa ring nagbabago in the meantime sa Commission on Elections (Jimenez is still there and nothing has changed yet in the Comelec). He is still the face of the Comelec,” he added.

He also pointed out that the current investigation will not affect the Comelec’s preparations for the 2022 elections, with exactly a week remaining before the election day on May 9.

Asked if there are sectors in the Comelec calling for the resignation of Jimenez and Arabe, Garcia said, “I have not heard of any complaints of sectors calling for the resignation. Wala naman po (there is nothing). We are all focused on the investigation. That’s why what transpired last week was really a bombshell.”

Due to financial issues between Comelec’s debate contractor Impact Hub Manila and the supposed debates venue Sofitel Garden Plaza, the poll body has decided to shift into taped interviews slated from May 2 to 6.

The town hall debates were originally scheduled for April 23 and 24 but were moved to April 30 and May 1 until it was dropped in favor of a panel interview. — RSJ, GMA News