Comelec officials must settle differences — JDV

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and other political leaders are scheduled to meet today with feuding members of the Commission on Elections to try to mediate their differences.

De Venecia told reporters yesterday that he and his colleagues have to do all they can to end the feud so that the Comelec can function as one and can be effective in supervising the combined barangay and youth elections in July and future voting exercises.

"It is in the interest of the nation that internal coherence be restored in the Comelec," he said.

For his part, Senate President Franklin Drilon said President Arroyo may have to seriously reconsider the appointment of Comelec chairman Alfredo Benipayo to the poll body because the internal conflicts in the Comelec have been delaying its projects.

Drilon said the disagreements among Comelec officials were so intense that "some of them no longer attend the en banc hearings to the detriment of the country’s electoral system."

"I do not recall any instance in the past when the confirmation of a member of the Comelec has been opposed by his own colleagues in the commission," Drilon said.

De Venecia said the poll body cannot also effectively carry out electoral and campaign finance reforms if it remains fractious.

The Speaker has drafted a bill seeking reforms in campaign financing, including possible state subsidy for political parties.

Besides De Venecia, who is national chairman of the ruling Lakas, among those who have volunteered to act as conciliators are Senators Edgardo Angara and Blas Ople of the opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. of PDP-Laban.

Members of the warring factions in the Comelec have reportedly promised to attend this morning’s meeting at the Manila Hotel.

One group is composed of Chairman Benipayo and Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Florentino Tuason Jr. The other bloc is made up of Commissioners Luzviminda Tancangco, Mehol Sadain, Ralph Lantion and Rufino Javier.

The two camps have been fighting openly on what they claim are policy and administrative matters.

They have brought their feud to the Commission on Appointments where the confirmation of Benipayo, Borra and Tuason is pending.

Tancangco and her three colleagues have filed a petition opposing the confirmation of the three. They have found an ally in Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. (Lakas, Surigao del Sur) who lodged last Friday a formal opposition to Benipayo and Borra.

The Tancangco group scored Benipayo and company for what it called repeated gross violations of the Constitution and the Administrative Code of the Philippines, as well as the constitutional principle of collegiality, which ensures the independence of the poll body from political influence.

Drilon, also concurrent chairman of the CA, pointed out the country cannot afford to have a virtually paralyzed poll body with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections just months away. – Jess Diaz, Aurea Calica