Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) filed before the Supreme Court on Monday (January 11) a second comment on the request of Sen. Grace Poe for a review of the poll body’s decision to block her candidacy.
The comment is about the case filed by lawyer Estrella Elamparo, who sought to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy on the basis of her citizenship and residency.
Also read: Elamparo to SC: Decide Poe’s case based on law, not on surveys
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez clarified, though, it is still unclear how this new comment will affect the status of the one filed by Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on January 7.
That comment is now the subject of a tiff between Guanzon and Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista.
In a memorandum leaked to the media last Friday (January 8), Bautista questioned Guanzon’s authority to submit the comment for the poll body, when it bore neither his or any of the other commissioners’ signatures.
Bautista further questioned Guanzon for placing his name on the document, when he said he was not given the opportunity to read it.
Guanzon had filed the comment in response to Poe’s petition against Comelec’s decision on the cases filed by former Sen. Kit Tatad, and academe members Antonio Contreras and Amado Valdez.
Guanzon, a member of the poll body’s First Division, penned the decision on the cases because the presiding commissioner, Christian Robert Lim, dissented.
Also read: Escudero asks Guanzon: Who are you lawyering for?
The Elamparo case was handled by the Second Division. Commissioner Arthur Lim penned the new comment.
According to Jimenez, the Comelec en banc met Monday morning primarily to finish the comment on their assailed decision on the Elamparo case but they also touched on the now-controversial comment from Guanzon.
He said Bautista and Guanzon spoke with each other cordially despite Guanzon’s heated statements on social media as well as in radio and TV interviews.
Bautista said the en banc has yet to finish discussing Guanzon’s comment.
In his memorandum, Bautista warned Guanzon that if she is unable to explain her position within 24 hours, he will inform the high court that the comment she submitted was unauthorized.
Guanzon posted a statement on Twitter but did not respond officially to the memorandum.
Meanwhile, the new comment bears the signatures of all seven members of the commission.
