Tancangco to face impeach raps?

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco may face impeachment charges anew, as well as possible criminal and administrative charges, for her reported premature announcement of her decision declaring a failure of elections in Caloocan City.

This was revealed yesterday by Comelec commissioner Resurreccion Borra in an interview with reporters at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila.

But Borra refused to confirm or deny if any of the Comelec Commissioners is planning to file the charges against Tancangco. However, Borra said that any of the aggrieved parties, one of whom is Caloocan officer-in-charge Reynaldo Malonzo, may file the charges against Tancangco.

"Proper charges will be filed in court. She is a commissioner, she is impeachable," stressed Borra.

Borra likewise said that Tancangco can also be charged with other offenses, criminal and administrative.

"In terms of public office, she is an impeachable officer; with culpable violation of criminal and other laws, she still can be held liable in court," Borra said.

Borra explained that some of the grounds for impeachment are treason, bribery, serious high crimes, and breach of public trust. Borra said that Tancangco’s charges may fall under "breach of public trust".

"A decision of the Commission has far reaching implications. It affects all parties. To be fair, you must maintain the integrity and the dignity of that kind of decision and revealing that prematurely, naturally you show your bias. And you breach public confidence, and public trust," said Borra.

Borra said that anything that is not yet promulgated is confidential. And it will become official only when it is promulgated. "She was the one who (revealed her own decision on the Caloocan polls)," he said.

Borra said that due to what Tancangco did, she violated the Comelec rules of procedure.– Sandy Araneta