Drilon calls on newly-appointed Comelec commissioner Neri to resign

MANILA, Philippines, March 14 ------ Newly-designated Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri should resign from the post to remove doubts amid extortion allegations against her, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Monday. “The allegations against Commissioner Neri could affect the integrity of the Comelec. Her appointment has created a distraction that can jeopardize the Comelec’s constitutional duty to conduct a fair, credible and honest 2022 election,” Drilon said in a statement.

He was referring to lawyer Ferdinand Topacio’s allegations that his client Herbert Colanggo gave Neri, who was then assistant secretary of the Department of Justice, P10 million to “fix” the convict’s robbery case before the Supreme Court. Topacio claimed that when Colanggo was convicted in 2018, Neri only returned only P7 million and pocketed the remaining P3 million. “It has always been my desire and fervent wish that all appointees to government posts should be fit and qualified. Unfortunately, what we have witnessed in the last six years are appointees with questionable competency, professionalism and integrity to serve the government and the country,” Drilon added.

While President Rodrigo Duterte has named Neri as one of the two new Comelec commissioners, she still has to pass the Commission on Appointments (CA), which Drilon is a part of. “I am telling Atty. Neri that whoever your MBA or ‘May Backer Ako’ is, he cannot influence the CA to set aside these allegations and confirm your appointment. The Commission on Appointment takes this matter seriously,” Drilon said. “Ang job vacancy sa Comelec ay commissioner. Klaruhin po natin na hindi po iyon tagakolekta ng komisyon,” he added.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday, Drilon said Neri should resign as the CA can only convene on May 23, at the earliest, which means the elections have already concluded. “I think in fairness to the Filipino people, in fairness to the President, in fairness to the Comelec, she should just resign because she cannot be fired. The appointment can no longer be withdrawn—it being an ad interim appointment,” Drilon said in the television interview “The Constitution does not allow the President to withdraw it and therefore the only way by which she can be removed from the office is through her resignation,” he added.

Source: inquirer.net