Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan on Wednesday, June 1, said he accepts with a heavy heart the outcome of the confirmation hearings.

"Today, my ad interim appointment as Chairman of the Commission on Elections ends. Due to a lack of quorum, the appointments of President Rodrigo Duterte to the independent Constitutional Commission have all been bypassed," he said in a statement.
"It is with a heavy heart that I accept such outcome but I would like to restate my utmost respect to the actions of the Commission on Appointments," added Pangarungan.
He said the Comelec will stand proud of its achievements in the 2022 National and Local Elections.
"I and my Comelec officialdom have successfully defended the sovereign right of suffrage of the Filipino people with the highest voter turnout in Philippine election history at 83.07 percent. It is also the most peaceful election, with only 27 election related incidents (ERI) compared to 66 ERI in 2019 and 167 in the 2016 election because of our peace civenant signing among candidates in election hotspots nationwide, including Abra, Samar, Marawi and Basilan, among others. We had the record-breaking speed of transmission of election results to the Transparency Server before 12 midnight of election day. And the fastest proclamation of winning senators, the President and Vice president, and our party list representatives," Pangarungan said.
"Because of these, I believe that I would have been confirmed by the CA had there been a quorum," he added.
Pangarungan then thanked all the men and women of the poll body.
"It is my honor to have served as your Chairman," he said.