Poll-meddling, influence-peddling issues hound poll commissioner at CA

(Updated 11 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - A last-minute opposition and a nine-year-old high court ruling hounded new poll commissioner Moslemen Macarambon Wednesday at his confirmation hearing before the Commission on Appointments (CA). During Macarambon's confirmation hearing on Wednesday, the CA noted a last-minute opposition to Macarambon's appointment, which accused Macarambon of meddling in the special village and youth council elections held in ARMM on December 15 last year. The opposition to Macarambon's appointment was faxed to the panel only on Wednesday morning, senators said. The second issue leveled against Macarambon was a Supreme Court ruling in 1999, censuring Macarambon for an incident in September 1998 where he sought preferential treatment being a "judge." The two issues hounded Macarambon even as he told the powerful commission he plans to crack down on election fraud especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The hearing was ongoing as of posting time. "If confirmed I will do my very best to minimize if not totally eradicate election fraud in ARMM especially in Lanao del Sur where I come from," Macarambon told the CA. During the hearing, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson presented the Supreme Court resolution GR 138143 which involved Trust Asia Shipping where Macarambon, then a judge, boarded an inter-island vessel from Cebu to Lanao del Sur. At the time, he had reserved the "ambassador suite" of the vessel days earlier, but the original ship was denied clearance at the port and the replacement ship was much smaller. While ship operator Trans-Asia apologized and said it was willing to refund the ticket, Macarambon became furious and expressed his intention to bring the matter to court. "Brandishing his calling card to petitioner's employee, respondent judge said: 'You know I am a judge. You should have accommodated me first,'" read an excerpt from the resolution. It added the petitioner's attempt to reach an amicable settlement with the judge failed because "the latter demanded big amounts," with Macarambon and Sonny Ambrosi Macarambon demanding P150,000 and P100,000 respectively. Macarambon explained he had to show his calling card because he saw another passenger about to jump the line and get special treatment. "When I heard the discrimination I had to tell him I am a judge," he said. In the confirmation hearing, Macarambon also said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is on track to implementing a two-pronged computerized election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on August 11 this year. He noted that the Comelec will be employing direct recording technology and optical mark reading technology in the polls but did not elaborate. In the hearing, Macarambon also discussed the following five-point plan to eradicate poll fraud, particularly in ARMM: • Prohibit Comelec officials from getting supplies, furniture, allowances from local government units; • Prohibit politicians from recommending or endorsing applicants for employment with the Comelec; • Reshuffle Comelec employees to "prevent officials from establishing too much familiarity with elected officials"; • Purge voters' list of double registrants; and • Integration of voters' education into the school curriculum. Macarambon's appointment was announced November 2007 and he took his oath last Nov. 5. At the time, he said he was "painfully aware" of the criticisms surrounding his appointment, and vowed to prove his critics wrong. But he said he harbors no ill feelings towards those who have attacked his appointment to the poll body. He said criticisms of public officials are normal. Macarambon's track record includes 30 years in the legal profession as law practitioner and as presiding judge of the regional trial court in Iligan City. - GMANews.TV