Comelec reshuffle starts in Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY – Thirty-two election officers in this vote-rich province will be affected by a reshuffle at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which started yesterday and will last for two weeks.

The move is expected to prevent partisan politics from influencing the forthcoming elections.

Lawyer Reddy Balarbar, provincial election supervisor, told The STAR that majority of those who will be transferred to other areas have been serving in a town or city for more than four years and some were related to particular candidates.

He said the election officers were informed of the impending reshuffle a month ago. "We want to make our elections honest, clean and credible and fair to all aspirants," Balarbar said.

Meanwhile, he said four different disqualification cases have been received by the Comelec here against political personalities. Some were being petitioned as nuisance candidates or for lack of qualifications.

These include the petition of re-electionist Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. (Nationalist People’s Coalition) against his rival, Jimmy Queliza, an independent mayoralty bet.

In Mangatarem town, former Rep. Teodoro Cruz, who is running for mayor under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, petitioned the Comelec to disqualify his rival with the same family name identified as Edwin Cruz, an independent bet.

There was also the petition of Richard Palisoc of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, which seeks to disqualify his rival who has the same family name ‑ a certain Alfredo Palisoc, another independent candidate.

In Calasiao, Marilou Macanlalay, in her capacity as voter, is seeking to disqualify a candidate for councilor identified as Raquel Victoria Lim of UNO-PDP Laban as the latter is allegedly not a registered voter in the said town.

Umingan town Mayor Alain Rabang, who is now running for vice mayor under NPC-Biskeg na Pangasinan, filed a petition for disqualification against his rival Loida Mendoza, an independent candidate, on grounds of dual citizenship.

Transcripts of the hearings are ready to be submitted to the Comelec central office for resolution.