Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)—The Commission on Elections plays a balancing act between preparing for the upcoming polls and resolving whether or not Sen. Grace Poe is allowed to run for president.
The poll body needs to justify before the Supreme Court (SC) its decision to block Poe’s bid.
Oral arguments were set for January 19. But it is asking the high court for an earlier date as it needs to finalize the list of candidates as soon as possible.
“Yung pag finalize nung ballot face ay mangyayari according to our schedule on January 20,” Bautista said.
[Translation: Finalizing the ballot face will happen according to our schedule on January 20.]
“At that time, lahat nung listahan ng mga pangalan ng kandidato, nakalagay na diyan dapat. Kung ang oral argument mangyayari sa January 19, medyo masyadong gipit.”
[Translation: At that time, the list of names of candidates should be finished. If the oral argument is set on January 19, the schedule is too tight.]
In its “very urgent motion to set oral arguments in an earlier date,” Comelec asks that it be held on January 14.
That’s on top of its earlier request for the high court to give it five more days to comment on Poe’s petition for certiorari or review of the decision.
Comelec to defend its decision in SC
In his manifestation, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said he has already taken the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s position, which favors Poe.
Bautista said Comelec will now have to defend its own ruling.
“Well hindi naman namin sinisisi ang Office of the Solicitor General. Lalong lalo na at mukhang magkasalungat yung kanilang posisyon dun sa naging desisyon ng majority sa Comelec,” Bautista said.
[Translation: We are not blaming the Office of the Solicitor General. Especially that it looks like it has a different opinion as compared to the majority’s decision in Comelec.]
Bautista dissented in the Comelec en banc’s decisions to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy (COC). Despite this, the chairman said he was surprised with the decision of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
“Akala namin ginagawa na nila yung pleading so medyo nga kami nabigla. Pero nandyan na tayo so sanay naman kami sa sariling sikap so kami-kami na lang yung gagawa nung aming answer.”
[Translation: We thought that they were already working on the pleading, so we we’re a bit surprised. But we can’t do anything about it, and we’re used to working on our own so we will provide our own answer.]
Comelec was supposed to submit its comment on January 7.
