Sixto Brillantes


Sixto Serrano Brillantes, Jr. was the chairman of the Philippine Commission on Elections. He was appointed by Philippine president Benigno Aquino III on January 16, 2011 to serve the unexpired term of Chairman Jose Melo.

Criticism

Some quarters fear he may not be an objective Comelec chief, having served popular clients such as former President Joseph Estrada and the Ampatuan family.
Brillantes, who resigned as poll lawyer following his appointment on Saturday, said: “Marami ang nakakakilala sa akin, and for the last 20 years, ako ho ang humahabol sa mga operator.”
Even former Senator Manuel Roxas II supposedly expressed reservations over his appointment. He allegedly voiced out his fears to President Benigno Aquino III that Brillantes may favor senator Francis Escudero or Vice-President Jejomar Binay in the 2016 elections.

Personal life

On July 25, 2020, Zeena Brillantes and former staff member Emil Marañon separately disclosed that Sixto Brillantes tested positive for COVID-19. On July 22, it was confirmed that his test result was positive. Prior to this, he was confined at the Medical Center Manila on July 18, and was intubated on July 25.