Comelec Chairman George Garcia (Screenshot from Facebook Live)

House Deputy Majority Leader Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Alfred delos Santos has warned those allegedly seeking the impeachment of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia not to use Congress for their "personal interest". 

This, as Delos Santos affirmed on Wednesday, Oct. 16 his trust and confidence in Garcia and in the poll body's ability to carry out a fair and credible mid-term elections next year. 

Delos Santos mentioned that while he recognizes the importance of impeachment as a mechanism that is meant to protect our democracy, it must not be abused or taken lightly.

“Hindi pa po natin nakikita ang complaint dahil ‘di pa naman ito nafile. At syempre po, kung sakaling ito ay maihahain talaga sa Kongreso, dadaan naman ang impeachment complaint sa tamang proseso," he said. 

(We haven't seen the complaint because it has yet to be filed. Of course, if ever it is filed in Congress, the impeachment complaint will go through the right process.) 

"Pero dapat nating tandaan na ‘di naman po basta basta ang impeachment. Kailangan ng sapat na ebidensya, hindi lang alegasyon. Isa pa, hindi po dapat ginagamit ang mga proseso ng Kongreso para sa pansariling interes," he noted. 

(But we should remember that impeachment isn't a simple thing. Mere allegations won't do, you need ample evidence. Moreover, the processes in Congress shouldn't be used for personal interests.) 

"Hindi po biro ang alisin ang Comelec chair. Ang impeachment sa Comelec chair ay tila pagkwestyon sa kredibilidad ng halalan," underscored De los Santos. 

(Unseating the Comelec chair is no joke. Seeking the impeachment of the Comelec chair is like questioning the credibility of the elections.) 

"Pero may basehan nga ba (But is there really a basis)? Chair Garcia has worked hard in the past years to ensure the integrity of the elections. We saw his dedication to the electorate during the successful 2023 barangay elections. 

"Napakarami po niyang naging programa para siguruhin na walang bahid ng kasamaan o pandaraya ang eleksyon. 

(He has had many programs to ensure that the elections weren't smeared by wickedness or cheating.) 

Recently, there have been reports of a planned impeachment that will be filed against Garcia. The impeachment process begins with a civilan's filing of an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives. 

Aside from these, graft cases have been previously filed against him and other Comelec officials regarding the awarding of contracts to Miru as the 2025 election’s technology provider. There is also a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) questioning the contracts.

“Narinig naman po natin ang sagot ng ating Comelec chairperson na handa siyang harapin kung anuman ang reklamong ihain laban sa kanya. Kahanga-hanga po ito," Delos Santos said. 

(We've heard the response of our Comelec chairperson that he's ready to respond to whatever complaint that's filed against him. This is admirable.)