IN the wake of the directive of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. for all Cabinet secretaries to submit their courtesy resignation, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said no losing candidates in the May 12 polls can be appointed for a period of one year.
In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said: “The one year ban is now effective. A losing candidate in the elections cannot be appointed in a government post. Therefore, such appointments will have to wait for a year.”
Garcia said the ban is provided under the 1987 Constitution, which states that “no candidate, who has lost in any election shall, within one year after such election, be appointed to any office in the government or any government-owned or controlled corporations or in any of their subsidiaries.”
Garcia said the provision ensures that the appointment of public officials is not used for patronage politics.
“This is so the appointment won’t be used as a reward by the incumbent to those who supported him but lost in the last elections,” he added.
