Brillantes wants successor to be ‘young, brave woman’

MANILA, Philippines - The next chief of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be a “young and brave woman.”

This was according to Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., who said this is the way it should be if he could choose his successor.

Brillantes said he has not made a recommendation to Malacañang about his possible replacement but he wanted someone young and brave of the fairer sex.

Asked if he was referring to his close friend Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Brillantes was evasive.

De Lima was a prominent election lawyer before she joined government.

“It could be the one from the DOJ (Department of Justice) because she gets angry at me whenever I say that I want her to become Comelec chairman,” Brillantes said.

Brillantes had announced his bet for Comelec chair would be De Lima, but the justice chief was reported to be eyeing a Senate seat in the 2016 elections.

Brillantes said there are other young and brave women in government, citing Internal Revenue Chair Kim Henares and Commission on Audit Chair Grace Pulido-Tan.

Brillantes is set to retire on Feb. 2, along with Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, after completing their seven-year terms.

There had been talk that among those being eyed to succeed Brillantes are De Lima, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino.

For the replacement of the two commissioners, Brillantes said he wanted an insider and a Muslim.

“For the two new commissioners, I think it would be better if one will come from inside the Comelec since there are many qualified people here. The other should be a Muslim so that Mindanao will be represented,” he said.