COMELEC Commissioner Sheriff Abas.
The Commission on Appointment (CA) approved today the appointment of a Commission on Elections Commissioner who is also the nephew of MILF Chief Negotiator Mohaguer Iqbal.
COMELEC Commissioner Sheriff M. Abas now replaces former commissioner Elias Yusoph.
Abas is a native of Maguindanao but has roots in Iloilo owing to having an Ilongga mother.
His qualifications were assessed earlier at the Commission on Appointments.
He didn’t deny being the nephew of MILF Chief Negotiator Mohaguer iqbal, one of the negotiators for the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
“If there is a conflict of interest, just in case that my uncle will join politics for example, then I will be inhibit myself, your honor,” said Abas. “We in maguindanao only hopes for peace.”
CA members also discussed the issue of Smartmatic meddling with the transparency server.
“We have never given any authority to Mr. Marlon but again, your honor, this is without prejudice to the cases being filed against them and the investigation to the conducted by our office,” Abas explained.
The hearing resembled an en banc session for the complete attendance of the COMELEC commissioners headed by Chairman Andres Bautista.
Some of them were asked by congressmen on the issue of the alleged “cosmetic change” on the transparency server.
After the interrogation, the Committee on Constitutional Commissions and Offices recommended the approval of Abas’ appointment at the plenary level.
Abas’ term will end on February 2, 2022.
Meanwhile, aside from Abas, the appointment of COA Commissioner Isabel Dasalla-Agito who replaced Heidi Mendoza was also approved in the plenary.
Her term will end on February 2, 2018.
Meanwhile the nomination of Nieves Osorio as commissioner of the Civil Service Commission was deferred.
It can be recalled that Senator Juan Ponce Enrile has blocked the confirmation of Osorio and Agito to give the next president a free hand in choosing his preferred persons for the positions.
(BRYAN DE PAZ/UNTV News)
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