Lim gets CA nod for Comelec post

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Arthur Lim, lawyer of Sulpicio Lines that figured in various ship accidents, finally got the nod of the Commission on Appointments (CA) yesterday.

“I am very grateful to our President for giving me the opportunity to serve our people,” Lim said after his confirmation.

Rep. Conrado Estrella III of the committee on constitutional commissions and offices presented Lim’s credentials yesterday before the CA plenary chaired by Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Lim is a graduate of the University of Philippines College of Law batch 1969, which counts Drilon and Santiago as alumni. Lim took up AB English at Silliman University prior to his law studies.

Before entering government service, Lim practised in maritime law but Estrella did not mention that Lim acted as counsel of Sulpicio Lines, whose ship M/V Princess of the Stars capsized in 2008.

Lim also defended Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari from rebellion charges.

Lim gained prominence as one of the prosecutors during the impeachment trial of former Supreme Court chief justice Renato Corona in 2012, where he figured in an argument with Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Santiago scolded Lim and threatened to disqualify him from the Corona trial after he argued with the senator when she asked why they were accusing Corona of being guilty under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Drilon and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez described Lim as “highly qualified” for his post at the Comelec even if he did not specialize in election law.

Another contract with Smartmatic feared

Meanwhile, election watchdog Citizens for Clean and Credible Elections (C3E) expressed fear that the Comelec is again planning to enter into another negotiated contract with Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) Corp.

C3E convenor Nicanor Elman said Comelec appeared to be preparing to grant the contract to Smartmatic for the lease of additional Optical Mark Reader and Direct Recording Electronic machines to be used in the 2016 elections.

He noted that the successive failed biddings declared by the Comelec Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) could just be a pre-designed scenario to enable the Comelec to settle for a negotiated deal.

“What we can see is the manipulative role being played by Smartmatic in ensuring the failure of bidding. The grand design is that the bidding failures would force the Comelec to settle for a negotiable deal,” he said.

BAC earlier disqualified both Indra Sistemas S.A. and Smartmatic-TIM from the second stage of the public bidding. Both companies filed motions for reconsideration, but these were denied, resulting in the declaration of failed bidding.

Last week, BAC declared another failed bidding in the provision of election results transmission services as no bid proposal was tendered.

Under the law, BAC may resort to negotiated procurement after a second failed bidding.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez dismissed the accusations of C3E as baseless. He maintained that the declaration of failed bidding is proof that the BAC strictly follows the provisions of the Government Procurement Law.

“There is no conspiracy between the Comelec and Smartmatic. It is irresponsible to seek to undermine the public’s confidence in this process with neither basis nor reasonable justification,” he added.