It can be "tricky" and "complicated" for the Senate to look into the Commission on Elections (Comelec) official's alleged offshore accounts, a matter earlier disclosed by SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta.
"The allegations came from a member of the House and will most likely be looked into by the House, unless a member of the Senate files a resolution to that effect," Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said in a text message to reporters on Thursday, July 11.
"We have to note though that simultaneous hearings on the same issue are sometimes tricky and complicated as it sometimes results in different outcomes, especially in this case given that members of the Comelec are impeachable officials," he added.
Marcoleta disclosed that a Comelec official has opened a whopping 49 offshore accounts some of which received $2.1 million or more than P120 million in deposits from Korean bank accounts between June 22, 2023, to March 22, 2024.
This comes as the former House deputy speaker continued to assail Comelec's chosen contractor for the 2025 automated polls, South Korea's Miru Systems Co. Ltd. Miru's contract is worth P18 billion.
Asked point-blank during the presser if he believed that Miru had bribed the Comelec official, the normally outspoken solon said: "Your guess is as good as mine."
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that he was the one being referred to by Marcoleta, as he categorically denied this allegation.
He even floated the idea that there are viable grounds to impeach Comelec's top officials based on its award contract to South Korean firm Miru Systems for the 2025 mid-term elections. Marcoleta claimed that Comelec violated Republic Act (RA) No. 9389, or the Election Automation Law when it entered into an agreement with Miru.
So far, no senator yet has filed a resolution seeking to investigate the same.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel refused to comment yet on the matter as he needs more facts as this allegation for him is at the level of a "tsismis" (rumor).
Yet he commented on the cost of holding elections in the Philippines, stating that P20 billion to hold such is too much.
"Comelec should exert efforts to make our elections not cost that much," he said.
"We need more frequent elections to make our political processes 'more inclusive'. This is the reason why elections should not cost P20 billion per election. Dapat maging mas mura ang ating elections (Our elections must be cheaper)," he added.
Escudero then reminded that the Senate "must avoid pre-judging (or the appearance thereof of) any putative case that may reach us in the future."