Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – The Commission on Appointments on Tuesday (September 22) confirmed lawyer Andres Bautista as chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
At the plenary hearing, Senate President Franklin Drilon, who is chairman of the Commission on Appointments, affirmed Bautista’s confirmation.
Drilon stressed the urgency of confirming Bautista with the 2016 polls fast approaching. Drilon said confirming Bautista will add stability to the poll body.
Bautista thanked the body for his confirmation.
He also expressed gratitude to his colleagues at the Comelec for their “love and support”. Last week, dozens of Comelec employees staged a rally to call for Bautista’s confirmation as well as that of Commissioner Sheriff Abas.
The committee, however, deferred Abas’ confirmation after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano asked the panel to have a chance to ask him questions. But Cayetano was absent from Tuesday’s hearing.
First wave of opposition
Bautista’s confirmation was deferred few weeks ago after Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile questioned him over purportedly two million missing votes from the 2013 national elections.
The Commission on Appointments announced that Bautista had already submitted a report to answer Enrile’s questions and that the senator was satisfied with it.
In the same hearing, representatives from the Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat) Erlinda Bildner and Jose Ozamiz claimed Bautista wrongfully sought to become a board member of the Philcomsat while he was head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
Last ditch effort to oppose Bautista’s confirmation
Earlier on Tuesday, before Bautista was confirmed, the chairman hurdled the third opposition to his confirmation.
At the hearing, retired Navy Capt. Proceso Maligalig accused Bautista of holding the chairmanship of the PCGG and the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. (Baseco) at the same time.
Maligalig said, that would have meant a conflict of interest.
Maligalig headed Baseco from 2001 to 2011, during which the company operated at a loss.
The PCGG took over Baseco in June 2011. In January 2013, with Bautista as PCGG chief, he filed a plunder case against Maligalig and several Baseco directors for allegedly pocketing P220 million.
Soon after that, Maligalig filed a case against Bautista before the Ombudsman – but it was dismissed.
