4 days ago
CA panel suspends appointment hearing of 2 Comelec commissioners
A panel of the Commission on Appointments (CA) suspended Wednesday the consideration of the ad-interim appointments of Commission on Elections Commissioners Ma. Norina Tangaro-Casingal and Noli Pipo due to lack of material time.
Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte raised the motion to suspend the appointment hearing. It was seconded by Senator Risa Hontiveros.
'On motion of the minority floor leader, duly seconded, there being no objection, the Committee on Constitutional Commission and Offices hereby suspend the consideration of the ad-interim appointment of Ms. Ma. Norina Tangaro-Casingal,' said Senator Cynthia Villar, CA committee chairperson, said.
'It will be resumed on June 10, 2025 at 11 a.m. The same goes to Mr. Noli Rafol Pipo,' she said.
Tangaro-Casingal faced the CA amid several oppositions on the confirmation of her and Pipo's appointment as Comelec commissioners, including a complaint letter filed by Ronald Cardema, chairperson of Duterte Youth, to the Office of Senate President Francis Escudero.
During the hearing, Cardema reiterated the party-list's 'strongest opposition' to the confirmation of the two commissioners as he accused them of impartiality when they agreed to suspend the proclamation of Duterte Youth over their pending cases. He cited other Eleksyon 2025 candidates who were marred with similar issues.
'We would like to convey our strongest opposition to these two temporary government officials in the Comelec,' he said.
'The character of these two has been tested three weeks ago and clearly, they have failed in this test. They have twisted the results of the democracy and the sovereign will of more than 2.3 million Filipinos,' Cardema added.
The CA panel also noted the sworn opposition filed by Rogelio Rabanal, and Dr. Felipe Montealco Jr. Senator Aquilino Pimentel III also wrote to Escudero's office, seeking the postponement of the CA hearing for the ad-interim appointment of the two commissioners.
In February, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Tangaro-Casingal as the new Comelec commissioner, replacing ex-commissioner Socorro Inting, who retired after completing her seven-year term.
Tangaro-Casingal was director of the Comelec Law Department since 2016. She was an election lawyer who served in the Comelec for 27 years.
Marcos Jr. also appointed Pipo to succeed ex-Commissioner Marlon Casquejo. Pipo has been serving at the Comelec for 32 years. He started as an election officer in Bangued, Abra, in 1993 before climbing the ranks and acting as regional election director since 2006.
Meanwhile, the CA committee approved in the plenary the appointment of Civil Service Commission (CSC) Commissioner Luis Pangulayan, and Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Douglas Michael Mallillin. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
