Abalos back in hospital

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos suffered a relapse last Saturday, hours after being released for the second time from the hospital.

The Comelec’s administrative functions are now being handled by Commissioner Rufino Javier, the most senior among the four remaining members of the seven-member poll body. Abalos will remain confined in an undisclosed hospital for another week.

Abalos was first taken to hospital two days before the May 10 elections after he fainted due to what was later diagnosed as a ruptured intestinal vein.

However, Abalos — against his doctors’ orders — checked out of the hospital on May 10 to supervise the elections.

He decided to return to the hospital only last June 3 to undergo an operation.

Quoting Abalos, Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said he would be resting for a week as prescribed by his physicians, otherwise he will not be able to recover.

Borra said there is no written designation as to who would be commissioner-in-charge, but protocol-wise Javier is the most senior among them.

Borra said Javier has been signing Comelec checks on behalf of Abalos, although he made a distinction between an acting chairman and an officer-in-charge.

He said that as "mere officer in charge," Javier can only exercise the administrative functions of Abalos, and not his judicial powers as head of the Comelec en banc.

Borra said he did not ask the Comelec chairman about his reported inclusion in the communist hit list.

"That is a serious matter," he said. "I do not know why he is in the hit list. What for? I cannot understand."