Comelec commissioners support Garcia amid bribery allegations

All six commissioners of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday rallied behind Chairperson George Erwin Garcia amid bribery allegations in relation to the 2025 May polls. 

The commissioners as well as other key poll body officials convened at the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila to express support for Garcia. 

Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the alleged attacks against Garcia is a "direct attack" to the poll body. 

"Clearly, we see this as a direct attack not only to Chairman Garcia but to the entire institution. As you can see, we our united so we will see to it that those persons who are doing these malicious attacks against our institutions ay mananagot," said Casquejo. 

Commissioner Socorro Inting, for her part, told the accusers to "crucify" the poll body in the "court of law" and not in the "court of public opinion".

"I address the accusers of our beloved chairman, you are lawyers please uphold the rule of law," said Inting.

"Do not go down to the gutter. 'Wag kayong pumaris sa mga marites (Don't be like rumor mongers), do not crucify us in the court of public opinion, crucify us in the court of law because we will be ready to face you with our evidence," she added. 

‘Fair chance’

Meanwhile, Commissioner Imee Ferolino turned emotional as she called for a “fair chance” for the poll body.

“‘Wag po sana tayong maniwala sa accusations na walang basehan… Kung meron silang mga ebidensya ilabas nila, sasagutin naman namin lahat. Give us a fair chance, ‘wag naman yung unfair sweeping accusations,” said Ferolino.

(We should not believe accusations without basis. If they have evidence, they should present these and we will answer. Give us a fair chance, and don’t give us unfair, sweeping accusations.)

“Ayusin nila ang mga accusations nila at sa tamang forum. ‘Wag yung trial by publicity,” she added.

(They should present their accusations at the proper forum and not [resort to] trial by publicity.)

Garcia thanked the Comelec officials for their support as he junked calls for his resignation over the allegations.

“Impossible po yan. Impossible na may mag-leave o mag-file ng courtesy resignation sa sinumang member ng commission. Ano sila hilo? Parang sinasabi namin na totoo ang accusations nila," he said.

(That’s impossible ... impossible for anybody here in the commission to go on leave or file a courtesy resignation. Are they being foolish? It’s as if what they're accusing us are true.)

Comelec personnel back chief

Meanwhile, the Comelec issued a statement of solidarity against the “baseless and defamatory” attacks against Garcia and the integrity of the poll body.

“These attacks aim to undermine our efforts to safeguard the electoral process. We remain committed to strengthening the public's trust in the integrity of the elections, fulfilling our constitutional mandate to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections,” said the commission.

The Comelec also said the accusations should “undergo a rigorous process of fact-checking and not merely be aired in the court of public opinion”.

“We are certain that the ongoing independent investigations will further demonstrate that these allegations are unfounded,” the body said.

“We will ensure that those responsible for peddling these baseless lies are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We condemn those who spread falsehoods to weaken our institutions and erode public trust to serve the interests of a few,” it said.

“Amidst these fabricated accusations, we remain resolute, undeterred, and focused in our preparations for the upcoming elections,” it added.

Other organizations that expressed support for Garcia included the Comelec provincial election supervisors, the league of election officers of the nation, and NCR election officers.

Bribery raps

The Comelec chief is embroiled in bribery allegations after SAGIP party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta last week questioned the Comelec’s awarding of the P18-billion automated election contract to a joint venture including Korean firm Miru, amid the alleged existence of 49 offshore bank accounts which received money from South Korean banks.

Marcoleta said the decisions during the bidding process up to the awarding of the contract to Miru firm coincided with deposits made to the offshore accounts that he said are apparently linked to a Comelec official.

Garcia admitted he was the poll body official being alluded to but denied owning any foreign bank accounts or properties abroad.

He has also since requested the NBI and AMLC to formally investigate the accusations and issued secrecy waivers against the involved bank accounts.

The Comelec chief earlier said he is eyeing filing charges against individuals behind the alleged demolition job.

Former Caloocan congressman Edgar Erice also said that he received a package from the Bahamas allegedly containing bank records from bribe money and a list of properties of a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official.

Erice did not show the documents to the media.  He also did not name the Comelec official allegedly involved.

"I will not name it because it is not yet verified," he said.

Erice submitted the documents, which he called the 'Bahamas Files," to the office of Garcia for investigation.

Garcia said the documents were not yet verified and upon checking with at least four banks, he said the accounts do not exist. — AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News