Comelec commissioners told to resolve pending cases in 45 days
THE Commission on Elections passed a resolution directing the commissioners to resolve all pending cases at the division level within 45 days.
Comelec Resolution 10765, which was promulgated last Feb. 23, amended Resolutions 9914 and 9929, to ensure efficient and speedy disposition of election cases.
Under the general provision of the latest resolution, members of the former First Division and former Second Division shall “complete and wind up” the resolution of the cases previously raffled to the remaining members as ponente.
The 45-day period will start from the effectivity of the resolution or after the Comelec published Comelec Resolution 10765.
All pending cases assigned to the retired commissioners or chairperson shall be inventoried and raffled among the remaining members of the en banc or the former divisions, depending on the case and unless otherwise directed by the chairperson or the presiding commissioners.
After 45 days or upon the assumption and designation of new commissioners, whichever comes first, the former divisions will be “automatically dissolved.”
In case a commissioner is reassigned to another division, Comelec Resolution 10765 provides that the reassigned commissioner shall bring the pending cases raffled to him or her as ponente.
Rules and regulations which are not consistent with the provisions of Comelec Resolution 10765 will be amended and repealed accordingly.
Last Feb. 2, former Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas, former poll Commissioners Rowena Guanzon, the former presiding officer of the former Comelec First Division, and Antonio Kho Jr., a member of the former Second Division, have officially retired ahead of Eleksyon 2022.
Commissioner Socorro Inting, the most senior poll commissioner, currently sits as the acting Comelec chairperson.
Following Guanzon’s retirement, Inting presided over the Comelec First Division. She was joined by Commissioner Aimee Ferolino.
Meanwhile, the Second Division, which was previously led by Inting, is now headed by Commissioner Marlon Casquejo. He was joined by newly-appointed Commissioner Rey Bulay.
