By Jerome Aning
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The Commission on Elections on Saturday scored the lawyer of former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol for saying that the latter’s camp expected the poll body to uphold its earlier decision to convict Bedol for contempt.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Bedol’s lawyer Andrei Tagum showed his contempt for the Comelec after he admitted that Bedol was “half-expecting” the Comelec to junk his motion for reconsideration.

“If we go by the history of the commission, I don’t think they have ever reversed their decision because that would be an admission that they erred,” Tagum was quoted as saying in media reports.

Tagum said Bedol would ask the Supreme Court to overturn the Comelec’s decision.

Jimenez explained that when a quasi-judicial body such as the Comelec declines to reverse its decision on a motion for reconsideration, “it is because the arguments in the motion do not justify reversal, or because the motion failed to present any new arguments, that is, different from — or perhaps better than — those that led to the original adverse decision.”

“It strikes me as being extremely arrogant for defeated lawyers to claim that the tribunal before which they are arguing is composed of petty men who would rather perpetuate an injustice than to admit their error,” he added.

Comelec meted on Bedol a six-month jail term and a fine of P1,000 after he was found guilty of four counts of indirect contempt.

The case stemmed from his failure to attend the scheduled canvassing of Maguindanao votes and the hearing of Task Force Maguindanao which looked into alleged poll cheating in the province, as well as his unlawful assumption of custody of poll documents which he eventually lost, his challenge to the Comelec to sue him for his absences, and for boasting to media that he had a cache of firearms.