Retired Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amalia V. Guanzon was named in criminal complaints filed before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) in connection with the disqualification cases against President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The complaints were filed last Friday, May 27, by Citizen's Crime Watch (CCW) National Chairman Ferdinand S. Topacio and President Diego L. Magpantay.
Guanzon, who retired last Feb. 2, was charged with two counts of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, two counts of violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Officials and Employees, and two counts of violations of the Revised Penal Code.
The joint complaint affidavit stated that “respondent Guanzon divulged such valuable confidential information to unauthorized persons and/or released such information prior to the authorized release date.”
There were several cases for the disqualification of “Bongbong” Marcos before the Comelec in the last May 9 presidential election and the cases were raffled off to the Comelec’s First Division, where Guanzon served as commissioner.
The complaint affidavit stated that on Jan. 8, 2022, Guanzon posted on Twitter that the resolution on the disqualification cases will be released by January 17. On January 10, she tweeted that the raffle for two of the disqualification cases have been submitted for resolution and will be assigned to a ponente.
Last January 11, the affidavit stated that Guanzon tweeted that "n or before Jan. 17 the @COMELEC First Division will promulgate its Resolution on the DQ cases versus Marcos Jr. If not too risky, we will read it in the Session Hall, on livestream."
Guanzon then shared a video on her Facebook page on January 26, where she explained the reasons for the delay of the resolution -- one of the reasons being she was not the ponente of the disqualification cases and she already has a separate opinion, which she completed on January 17, the affidavit stated.
On January 27, it said that Guanzon tweeted that she will release her separate opinion soon. That same day, she went on air with GMA News. The complainants said, "Breaking all precedents, Guanzon disclosed during her interview that she had voted to grant the petitions in the disqualification cases and disqualify Marcos Jr., on the ground of previous conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude."
She even alleged that the resolution was being "intentionally delayed," the affidavit said, in order to negate her vote for disqualification because she is about to retire on February 2.
The complaints added that Guanzon revealed the identity of the ponente -- Commissioner Aimee Ferolino -- on January 28 during an interview with Rappler Talk. That same day, Ferolino wrote a letter to Sheriff M. Abas, then chairman of the Comelec, denying Guanzon's claim that the commissioners all agreed to internally promulgate the resolution by January 17.
In the letter, the complaints said that Guanzon stated that "it was the Presiding Commissioner herself who set that date and imposed the same on me and Commissioner Marlon Casquejo."
"Guanzon's actuations are desperate ploys in her attempt to remain relevant in the sensational disqualification cases while her other foot was already out of the proverbial door in view of her impending retirement," the complaints said.
"Further, rather than promote public good as Guanzon repeatedly spouts off in her media appearances, her actions severely damaged the reputation of her fellow commissioners and tarnished the integrity of Comelec," the complaints added.