Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥擟ommission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Thursday he will decide on Monday whether to step down as head of the election body.
Brillantes said he would talk with his children and family over the weekend to decide what to do. He added that he still expected to meet with President Aquino next week.
鈥淚鈥檒l take a rest on the weekend, take a rest and then contact my relatives and my children. Then, I鈥檒l make the decision on Monday after I take a rest so that I can think about this,鈥� Brillantes said in an interview. 鈥淢any of my friends are saying 鈥榙on鈥檛 do it;鈥� my children no longer want [me to stay]. So, let鈥檚 see.鈥�
President Aquino appointed Brillantes, 73, Comelec chief in January 2011 after the retirement of Comelec Chairman Jose Melo.
Brillantes said that his contacts in Malaca帽ang told him that they will try to set up a meeting between him and Aquino next week.
鈥淲e will probably exchange greetings. Could I take a rest? I want to know鈥� who would be appointed to coordinate,鈥� Brillantes said.
鈥淚f they say, 鈥楧on鈥檛 leave,鈥� then I鈥檒l also consider that. Anyway, this is a decision that I should make. It鈥檚 not the President鈥檚. And whatever my decision is (on Monday), I would still go to that meeting. I don鈥檛 want to waste it. I haven鈥檛 seen the President in a long time,鈥� he added.
Brillantes on Tuesday said he was thinking of leaving the Comelec after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against Comelec rules limiting the airtime of political advertisements for the May elections.
He noted that it was the fourth adverse order that the Comelec received from the high court in recent months.
The tribunal issued a similar order against the Comelec directive that the Diocese of Bacolod pull down its 鈥淭eam Buhay/Team Patay鈥� tarpaulins and then remanded to the Comelec the cases of party-list groups that it had already been disqualified, as well as the election protest regarding the 2010 mayoral race in Imus, Cavite.
鈥淚鈥檓 not just disappointed. I鈥檓 very, very disappointed鈥� If they want to regulate the campaign鈥� the way of campaigning, then what will the Comelec be?鈥� Brillantes said. 鈥淲hat are we? We鈥檙e useless here? Everything we do will be TRO-ed?鈥�
Brillantes said he could already leave because the critical phase in the preparations for the May elections was over and the Comelec senior staff can handle the elections.
鈥淥ur work is finished. We鈥檙e winding up already. The dangerous [part] is over. I鈥檝e even been able to travel. I think it鈥檚 about time. If I decide not to continue as chairman of this commission, I would have done my job already,鈥� Brillantes said.