Padaca’s fate hangs

MANILA, Philippines - The fate of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Grace Padaca hangs.

“We have verified that no new appointment has been
issued as of now, and according to the Constitution, bypassed appointees may be given new appointments while Congress is in recess. Congress is still in recess now,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said yesterday in a press briefing.

Coloma said they would just have to wait for the decision of President Aquino.

“The period within which a new appointment may be issued is still active,” he said.

The Commission on Appointments bypassed the confirmation of Padaca after she failed to attend two hearings.

According to a source, Padaca is unlikely to get an interim appointment from the President because she has pending cases before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan.

Padaca, according to sources, also failed to file her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth for three years when she was governor of Isabela.

“It turned out that she failed to file her SALN for the last three years so the President no longer renewed her appointment. What a waste. It seems that she forgot to file. But how can you forget that?” another source from the Comelec said.

The same source said Padaca had requested to file her SALN though it was too late.

“I don’t think she can still make up for it. We all know that the President is strict when it comes to SALN. The President actually asked the chairman (Sixto Brillantes) to look for possible replacement,” the source added.

As a practice, Comelec insiders can apply for the position but Malacañang could also appoint the replacement from outside. – AureaCalica,SheilaCrisostomo