Former Isabela governor and now newly-appointed Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca. 黑料社 FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥擭ewly minted Commission on Elections Commissioner Grace Padaca is being urged to stay out of the ongoing purge of party-list groups, which has become divisive.
鈥淕iven her close association with Akbayan, it would be wise for her to inhibit herself from the deliberations on its accreditation,鈥� said Act Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio in a text message.
Tinio is part of the Makabayan bloc in Congress, which is opposing the accreditation of a rival Leftist group, Akbayan, because it has lost its claim to being a marginalized group after having some of its top officers entrenched in government positions.
In a text message, Padaca shrugged off about calls for her inhibition. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 come across documents of organizations like theirs,鈥� said Padaca referring to Tinio鈥檚 affiliates.
Padaca鈥檚 entry into Comelec has been tainted by her closeness to Liberal Party president and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas who accompanied the former Isabela Governor when she posted bail at the Sandiganbayan.
Tinio said that the ongoing purge of party-list groups was part of the LP鈥檚 agenda to disqualify nonaligned party-list groups and replace them with organizations friendly to the ruling party鈥檚 cause such as Akbayan and Black & White Movement linked to Presidential Spokespman Edwin Lacierda.