Garcia: I did not apply as Comelec commissioner
By Jel Santos
New Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia on Friday, March 11, said he did not apply to be part of the poll body, saying he was surprised when told that he was being considered for the said post.
On March 8, Garcia took oath as commissioner before then acting Comelec Chairperson Socorro B. Inting.
“No application at all. ‘Yon nga lang po. Bigla po akong nakatanggap ng tawag mula sa ating Palasyo at ako daw po ay na-consider bilang Comelec commissioner so nagulat po ako ( I just suddenly received a call from Malacañan Palace saying that I was being considered as Comelec commissioner which surprised me),” the new poll commissioner said in an interview with One News.
Garcia said accepting the unexpected appointment as poll commissioner was a big sacrifice for him as he will close the doors of his law office from his clients.
But he said that it was his professional decision to accept the Comelec position.
“Lahat ng kliyente ko, magwith-withdrew po ako but then, alam niyo po napaka-crucial po nitong halalan na ito ( I withdrew from all my clients, but then, this 2022 elections is very crucial),” he said.
“Sabi ko nga kung after ng election na ito, maging successful, pwede naman pong bumalik na muli sa practice ( If this elections turn out successful, I may return to my legal practice),” Garcia added.
In 2016, the election lawyer represented then vice-presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. in his electoral protest, and then presidential candidate Grace Poe in her disqualification case.