{"id":4057,"date":"2022-03-10T15:04:11","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T07:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csspsinag.wordpress.com\/?p=4057"},"modified":"2022-03-10T15:04:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T07:04:11","slug":"duterte-appoints-ex-marcos-lawyer-as-comelec-commissioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/03\/10\/duterte-appoints-ex-marcos-lawyer-as-comelec-commissioner\/","title":{"rendered":"Duterte appoints ex-Marcos lawyer as COMELEC commissioner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed George Garcia, an election lawyer that has represented four of the 2022 presidential candidates including the dictator\u2019s son Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as commissioner for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) last Tuesday, March 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n<!--noteaser-->\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-thumbnail\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/justin.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/justin.png?w=80\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2094\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed George Garcia, an election lawyer that has represented four of the 2022 presidential candidates including the dictator\u2019s son Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as commissioner for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) last Tuesday, March 8.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Garcia, who represented Marcos in his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo, was part of the Isko Moreno campaign\u2019s legal team until he resigned a day before his appointment. He also said that he represented two other presidential candidates: Senators Manny Pacquiao and Ping Lacson.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The appointment sparked fears of a conflict of interest for Garcia, especially considering his former client Marcos\u2019s four unresolved cases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As lead counsel for the Marcos heir\u2019s electoral protests, Atty. Garcia once claimed that Robredo was part of a&nbsp; \u201cwell-funded concerted effort to undermine the Duterte administration,\u201d saying that \u201cRobredo&#8217;s video message on the alleged extra-judicial killings caused quite a stir amongst our patriotic countrymen.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Para sa akin naman that\u2019s part of lawyering&#8230; But I will be inhibiting from all the cases that I handled\u2026 and number 2, &#8216;pag may mga kaso rin na palagay ko kahit di ko hina-handle ngayon, pero dahil naging clients ko before o nagkaroon ako ng relationship before in my professional capacity, I\u2019m going to take no part,&#8221; Garcia said in response.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar defended the appointment, saying that it was still the president\u2019s prerogative and that Garcia was vetted before he got the post.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez also tried to respond to the concerns. \u201cWe are confident the new appointees will be able to navigate that, act impartially, and fairly in all matters before them. If it happens there\u2019s a possible conflict of interest, certainly, they will deal with that appropriately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Garcia\u2019s controversial appointment comes alongside two new COMELEC officials: former Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Aimee Torrefranca-Neri as fellow commissioner and former head of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Saidamen Balt Pangarungan as chairman.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All three appointments are ad-interim. While they will be able to exercise their functions immediately, they will only be confirmed to their posts once Congress is in session.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the new appointments, all seven members of the poll body are now Duterte appointees. The other members are: Aimee Ferolino, Marlon Casquejo, Socorro Inting, and Rey Bulay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Featured image courtesy of Angie de Silva<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4005\" width=\"67\" height=\"67\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed George Garcia, an election lawyer that has represented four of the 2022 presidential candidates including the dictator\u2019s son Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as commissioner for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) last Tuesday, March 8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[122],"class_list":["post-4057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-4-1.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4050,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/03\/09\/no-e-rally-for-debate-absentees-marcos-jr-attendance-still-unclear\/","url_meta":{"origin":4057,"position":0},"title":"No E-Rally for Debate Absentees; Marcos Jr. Attendance still unclear","author":"Staff","date":"9 March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"As the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) finalizes the presidential and vice-presidential debate schedules, the poll body also sets a penalty for absentee candidates. COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez said in the agreement signing between COMELEC and Vote Pilipinas that debate skippers will have their podiums empty in the event, and will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-2-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-2-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-2-1-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-2-1-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-2-1-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-2-1-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3457,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/01\/17\/comelec-2nd-division-junks-lone-coc-cancellation-case-vs-marcos-jr-3-dq-cases-remain\/","url_meta":{"origin":4057,"position":1},"title":"COMELEC 2nd Division junks lone &#8220;COC cancellation&#8221; case vs. Marcos Jr.; 3 DQ cases remain","author":"Staff","date":"17 January 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The petitioner's disagreed with the decision. \u201cIn essence, the COMELEC agreed with the petitioners that the representations made in Item 11 and Box 22 of the COC of Marcos Jr. are material but disagreed that they were false; in the process, the Second Division ruled that there was no ground\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-11-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-11-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-11-1-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-11-1-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-11-1-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-11-1-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3656,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/02\/01\/groups-stand-with-guanzon-demand-ferolino-to-release-marcos-dq-ruling\/","url_meta":{"origin":4057,"position":2},"title":"Groups stand with Guanzon, demand Ferolino to release Marcos DQ ruling","author":"Staff","date":"1 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Anti-Marcos groups gathered today, February 1, in front of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Intramuros to demand the COMELEC First Division to release the delayed ruling on the three disqualification cases against the presidential candidate Ferdinand \u201cBongbong\u201d Marcos Jr. Anti-Marcos groups gathered today, February 1, in front of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-14.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-14.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-14.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-14.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-14.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-14.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3781,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/02\/11\/comelec-first-division-junks-dq-case-against-marcos-jr-failure-to-file-tax-returns-is-not-inherently-immoral\/","url_meta":{"origin":4057,"position":3},"title":"COMELEC first division junks DQ case against Marcos, Jr.: Failure to file tax returns is not &#8216;inherently immoral&#8217;","author":"Staff","date":"11 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cBy allowing him (Marcos Jr.) to run as president in the upcoming elections, Commissioners Ferolino and Casquejo have sided with the brazen lies and crimes of the Marcoses,\u201d Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) stated. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) First Division dismissed the disqualification\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bongbong-marcos-family-tested-negative-of-covid-19-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bongbong-marcos-family-tested-negative-of-covid-19-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bongbong-marcos-family-tested-negative-of-covid-19-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bongbong-marcos-family-tested-negative-of-covid-19-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3402,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/01\/06\/whats-wrong-with-bongbong-marcos-jr-faces-disqualification-cases\/","url_meta":{"origin":4057,"position":4},"title":"What&#8217;s wrong with Bongbong: Marcos Jr. faces disqualification cases","author":"Staff","date":"6 January 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"While the former senator\u2019s camp continues to call these \u201cnuisance cases\u201d and \u201cpathetic stunts,\u201d petitioners believe that they have grounds to end Marcos\u2019s survey-topping candidacy on grounds that the dictator's son committed crimes involving moral turpitude.\u00a0 Presidential candidate Ferdinand \u201cBongbong\u201d Marcos Jr. is set to face disqualification charges in a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-1-6.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-1-6.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-1-6.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-1-6.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-1-6.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sinag-web-banner-1-6.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3796,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/02\/14\/kahit-una-sa-survey-bongbong-bumackout-muli\/","url_meta":{"origin":4057,"position":5},"title":"Kahit una sa survey, Bongbong bumackout muli","author":"Staff","date":"14 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Missing in action din ang anak ni pangulong Duterte at vice presidentiable na si Sara Duterte-Carpio. Kinumpirma ng CNN na hindi makadadalo si Duterte-Carpio sa vice presidential debates sa Pebrero 26, ngunit wala raw itong binigay na ni kahit anong paliwanag. Muling liliban si presidential candidate at convicted tax evader\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-26-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-26-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-26-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-26-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-26-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/sinag-web-banner-26-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":122,"user_id":9,"is_guest":0,"slug":"csspsinag","display_name":"Staff","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/194807626fee183640d3de57e788ba7c8c0d40bd86bfc1237bed56bcd3832c1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4057"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=4057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}