Comelec Chair George Garcia shows a sample of the electronic ballot during the Local Source Code Review of the Automated Election Systems (AES) at the Circuit Corporation One building in Makati city on October 11, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Erwin Garcia inhibited himself from all the cases involving former Caloocan City Congressman Edgar “Egay” Erice pending before the Commission.

Garcia wrote a letter to the Commission’s Clerk of Court and its Electoral Contests Adjudication Department (ECAD) dated November 27, 2024 stating his intention not to participate in handling any cases filed by Erice against him.

“In view of the recent issues and the cases filed by former Congressman Edgar Erice against me, I am exercising my discretion to inhibit myself from handling or participating in any and all cases involving him or may be filed by him or against him,” Garcia said in his letter to the Clerk of Court.

According to Garcia, his decision is to preserve the principles of fairness and impartiality and to ensure the integrity of the proceedings of Comelec.

Garcia cited Rule 4, Section 1(c) of the 1993 Comelec Rules of Procedure on Inhibition which provided that a member ( of the Commission ) may, in the exercise of his sound discretion, inhibit himself from sitting in a case for just or valid reasons other than those mentioned above.

“I believe that the pending cases Mr. Erice has filed against me, constitutes a valid basis to inhibit myself, in order to uphold the public’s trust in the impartiality of this office,” Garcia said.

In August, Erice filed a graft complaint against Garcia and Comelec Bids and Awards Committee members before the Office of the Ombudsman.

READ: Ex-Rep. Erice files graft complaint vs. Comelec officials

Erice believes that the respondents violated provisions of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when it awarded the P18-billion contract to Miru Systems for the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count project.