MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reiterated that losing candidates during the just-concluded midterm elections are covered by the one-year ban from holding positions in national government.
According to Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. cannot hire from the losing candidates due to the one-year appointment ban rule.
“The one-year ban is effective. Therefore, a losing candidate in the election cannot be appointed to a government post and therefore will have to wait for one year,” Garcia said.
The poll body chief noted that the ban ensures that government positions would not be treated as a “reward” for losing candidates in the elections, specifically for administration-backed candidates.
Garcia made the clarification amid calls from the public for President Marcos to hire his losing senatoriables to replace the Cabinet officials who tendered their courtesy resignations on Thursday.
Among the names being floated by the people are losing senatorial candidate Benhur Abalos as well as failed Caloocan mayoral candidate and former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.
Marcos recently ordered all Cabinet secretaries to submit a courtesy resignation in an aim to “recalibrate his administration” and realign it with the people’s expectations.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said President Marcos is not expected to wait for the one-year ban to elapse to appoint the vacant Cabinet posts as he is expected to have a quick decision about it.
“Hindi ko masasabi ‘yung timeline pero ang sabi nga ng Pangulo gusto niya mabilis. So, dapat mabilisan din ito. Makakaasa sila na mas mabilis ang pagde-decide patungkol dito,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in an interview with GMA’s Unang Balita.
“Unang-una, siyempre, ayaw ng mabagal ng Pangulo. Yan ang nireklamo niya, ayaw niya maging mabagal ang trabaho ng administration. At the same time, may mga issues ng korapsyon. So isa yan,” she added. “So performance, saka dapat maging malinis ang trabaho ng mga Gabinete, dapat walang korap.”/PN
