MANILA – Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Erwin Garcia is not part of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s mass resignation call for his Cabinet members.
According to Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, Garcia is not covered by the presidential directive since he is not part of the administration’s Cabinet.
“The Chairman is not a Cabinet Member, and Comelec is not a part of the Executive Department po,” Laudiangco said in an interview on Thursday.
“The Commission on Elections is an independent constitutional commission directly accountable to and answers directly to the people of the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.
Laudiangco’s remark came after the Duterte Youth Party-List has called on Garcia to follow President Marcos’ call for all Cabinet secretaries to tender their resignation in an aim to “recalibrate his administration” following the results of the 2025 midterm elections.
“If this is true, the Comelec Chairman (Secretary-Level Salary Grade Position), even though a Constitutional Commission, should also resign, because he is contributing to the politicking that is angering the people against Marcos who said he wants politicking to stop and focus on actions. That can be said on what the Comelec Chairman is doing now to us, a top winner of the 2025 elections, but is being politically-persecuted by Comelec,” said in its statement.
“Sa panawagan po ni PBBM today na lahat kayo mag-resign dahil sa pamumulitika, wag na po kayo magdalawang isip. Mag-resign na po kayo dahil nakakadagdag kayo ng milyon-milyong Pilipino na galit sa Marcos Administration dahil sa huli ninyong ginawa sa amin,” it added.
Garcia recently prevented the proclamation of Duterte Youth due to pending case filed against them by Kabataan Partylist in 2019.
Garcia, the former legal counsel of President Marcos, has been serving as chairman since his appointment by the President on August 1, 2022.
Prior to this, Garcia was appointed as Comelec commissioner in March 2022 by former President Rodrigo Duterte./PN
