Online survey on for Melo replacement

MANILA, Philippines - The election watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) has launched an online survey in a bid to get public opinion on who should replace outgoing Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo and Commissioners Gregorio Larrazabal and Nicodemo Ferrer.

Namfrel senior operations associate Paolo Maligaya said they decided to conduct the survey to also get an idea of the qualities people want to see in a poll official.

“We want to get a feel of the qualities that our people are looking for in a Comelec official and who should replace chairman Melo and the two commissioners,” he said.

But Namfrel is uncertain whether it will submit a list of nominees to Malacañang based on the survey, which can be accessed in the group’s website http://www.namfrel.com.ph.

The survey started two weeks ago and will be closed by January next year.

Melo had tendered his resignation, citing his desire to spend more time with his family after accomplishing his mission of holding the country’s first automated elections last May 10.

Larrazabal and Nicodemo, on the other hand, are set to retire on Feb. 2, 2011 when their seven-year term shall have been completed.

According to Maligaya, only a few have responded to the survey but among those that were proposed as Melo’s successor are Comelec Commission Rene Sarmiento, Comelec Law Department director Ferdinand Rafanan, Namfrel lawyer Jose Bernas, and lawyer Carlos Medina of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente).

He said the respondents in the survey also proposed the appointments of Caridad Manarang, lawyer Al Vitangcol and Augusto Lagman, all information technology experts, as Comelec commissioners.

Medina added most of the respondents in the online survey wanted a Comelec official to be transparent, apolitical, possessing technical knowledge of the automated election process, apart for being honest and sincere.