Poll watchdog to P-Noy: Consider recommendations for new Comelec executives

MANILA, Philippines –  Poll watchdog Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER) has asked President Aquino to consider the recommendations of civil society groups in appointing new election commissioners.          

On Feb. 2, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will have two vacancies when Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer and Gregorio Larrazabal retire.          

CER executive director Ramon Casiple said they hope that one of the two new commissioners would be an expert on information technology (IT) because elections in the country are already automated.       

“It would be better if one of them will be from the IT industry since the chairman of the Comelec and the other commissioners are lawyers,” Casiple said. 

The CER earlier submitted to Aquino a list of possible commissioners. These are Comelec-Law Department director lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan, Chito Gascon of the National Institute for Policy Studies, and Liberal Party director general Louie de Guia.                                              

Other civic groups like Transparency and Accountability Network and National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) also wanted non-lawyers to sit in the Comelec.

They recommended Ma. Caridad Manarang and Baltazar Endriga, both from Namfrel and Dr. Edna Estifania Co, dean of the National College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines.

“There is no legal hindrance in appointing a non-lawyer as a commissioner. It is allowed under the law so we hope that he would heed our request this time,” Casiple said.