Newly-appointed Comelec Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri should resign in order to save herself, President Duterte and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from embarassment and unnecessary distraction that could affect the integrity of the upcoming May 2022 elections, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Monday.
It won’t be smooth sailing for her either when she faces the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), Drilon said.
“The allegations against Commissioner Neri could affect the integrity of the Comelec. Her appointment has created a distraction that can jeopardize the Comelec’s constitutional duty to conduct a fair, credible and honest 2022 election,” Drilon said in a statement.
“I am telling Atty. Neri that whoever your MBA or May Backer Ako is, he cannot influence the CA to set aside these allegations and confirm your appointment. The Commission on Appointment takes this matter seriously,” said Drilon.
Drilon made the statement as he expressed serious concerns and strong disappointment the political appointments that happened throughout the Duterte administration.
“It has always been my desire and fervent wish that all appointees to government posts should be fit and qualified. Unfortunately, what we have witnessed in the last six years are appointees with questionable competency, professionalism and integrity to serve the government and the country,” Drilon further said.
The minority leader said his friendly advice to the new commissioner is to “run for your life” as he warned it won’t be easy for Torrefranca-Neri to get the nod of the CA—the body that confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President—given the seriousness of the allegations against her.
Torrefranca-Neri has been accused of receiving P10-million from convict Herbert Colangco to “fix" the controversial convict’s robbery case before the Supreme Court.
Drilon said he would ask lawyer Ferdinand Topacio to substantiate his claims that when Colangco was convicted in 2018, Neri allegedly returned only P7-million and the former Department of Justice (DOJ) assistant secretary kept the P3-million.
“Ang job vacancy sa Comelec ay commissioner. Klaruhin po natin na hindi po iyon tagakolekta ng komisyon (Let’s make that clear, we don’t need somebody who collects commissions),” he added.
Drilon also said he finds it baffling why Torrefranca-Nerri kept jumping from one agency to another.
“Is that normal? Did Commissioner Torrefranca-Neri undergo a ‘tour of duty’ during the Duterte administration?” he asked pointing out that it speaks of the level of commitment and professionalism of Torrrefranca-Neri.
Aside from being an assistant secretary of the DOH in 2016, Torrefranca-Neri also worked as deputy commission of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in 2017, and undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 2018, and this year as a Comelec commissioner.
Duterte, earlier, defended his new appointees to the Comelec amid questions regarding transparency in the process.