“I am determined to continue this fight for integrity, transparency, and public accountability before our courts, where I have faith that truth, right, and justice shall prevail,” retired commissioner Rowena Guanzon of the Commission on Elections said on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Guanzon issued the statement after receiving word that the Ombudsman has denied her Motion for Reconsideration to its resolution to criminally charge her for violations of R.A. No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Article 229 of the Revised Penal Code, and R.A. No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officers.
She said these cases were filed against her by Ferdinand Topacio and Diego L. Magpantay, apparently based on statements she made in January 2022 concerning the disqualification cases of then-presidential candidate Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. before the COMELEC First Division.
“My legal team is currently studying the Ombudsman’s Order and my available remedies, but the following is already clear: the Ombudsman refused to give me a full opportunity to defend myself against the baseless accusations of Mr. Topacio and Mr. Magpantay, ignoring the free speech and constitutional arguments that I made in seeking its reconsideration,” she said.
“I maintain, as I did before the Ombudsman, that I am innocent of the charges against me; that I did not breach a non-existent rule of confidentiality; and that the statements I made in 2022 were driven out of constitutional necessity, pursuant to my duty to uphold the independence of the COMELEC and in the paramount interest of the public in preserving the integrity of our elections,” she said.
The public had a right to know the reasons why the disqualification cases were being delayed, and she simply fulfilled her sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and the public’s faith in the ballot box, Guanzon said.
“It is unfortunate that instead of running after truly corrupt officials – which is apparent in the shrinking number of cases it is filing before the courts and its unconstitutional insistence on the secrecy of SALNs – the Ombudsman has chosen to give oxygen to a patently baseless complaint that was filed to harass and vex me into silence,” she said.
Meanwhile, Guanzon said she is filing her certificate of nomination and acceptance for P3PWS partylist No. 1 nominee on Oct. 1.*