FACULTY of Civil Law Prof. Alfredo Benipayo was no longer reappointed Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman by President Macapagal-Arroyo after he was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) for the seventh time. Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Benjamin Abalos, a former judge, was appointed in his place.
Despite the non-reappointment, the impeachment campaign against Comelec Commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco, who has repeatedly refused to cooperate with Benipayo along with three other commissioners, will continue. The UST administration has announced it will work to collect signatures for the impeachment bill.
Since taking over the chairmanship last year, Benipayo had had feuds with Joseph Estrada-appointed commissioners Tancangco, Ralph Lantion, Rufino Javier, and Mehol Sadain.
Since Benipayo took over from Harriet Demetriou—another UST Civil Law professor—the four had opposed him. Benipayo had wanted the Voter’s Registration and Identification System contract annulled because of alleged irregularities during the bidding process, which Tancangco’s group handled.
During his year-and-a-half term, Benipayo was bypassed seven times by the CA for alleged lack of leadership and failure to unite the commission.
Following the adjournment of Congress’ regular session last June 4, with Benipayo still unconfirmed, the four staged a take-over, electing Javier as acting chairman last June 10. Sadain said the election of Javier was needed because without a chairman, the Comelec would be in limbo.
However, the take-over was short-lived as President Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Abalos. She also reappointed Commissioners Resureccion Borra and Florentino Tuason.
In UST, Benipayo’s colleagues at the Faculty of Civil Law expressed dismay over his non-confirmation by the CA.
Civil Law Prof. Atty. Augusto Aligada said he agrees with what Atty. Jose Sison said in his June 14 Philippine Star column. Sison wrote that a Comelec chairman’s appoinment should not pass through the CA because the position is very prone prone to personal vendetta.
The CA is composed of 12 senators and 12 congressmen. The 25th member is the Senate president who sits as the ex-officio chairman.
Meanwhile, UST will continue to support the campaign of the National Movement for Free Elections Chairman to have Tancangco impeached for mishandling funds and using her position to block the computerization of the elections.
Now that he is no longer the Comelec chairman, Benipayo said he would either go on a well-deserved vacation, stay in his library at home or just catch up on his sleep.
He added that he would concentrate more on his first love, which is teaching. In the Faculty of Civil Law, he has handled Remedial Law and Civil Law Review since the 60’s. Jennifer B. Fortuno
