PPCRV urges GMA to fill
up vacant Comelec posts
THE Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible
Voting (PPCRV), a Church-based poll watchdog, yesterday urged
President Arroyo to immediately fill up the two commissioner
seats in the Commission on Elections that have been vacant for
three months now following the retirement of Resurreccion
Borra and Florentino Tuason last Feb. 2.
PPCRV chair Henrietta de Villa noted the
urgency of naming the replacements of Borra and Tuason due to
the coming elections in August in the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao.
"We believe that it is already high time na
ilabas na ang appointment ng dalawa pang commissioners at huwag
na itong panatilihing secret at ilabas na kung sino ang mga ito,"
de Villa said.
"A lot of work needs to be done in the coming
ARMM elections and if the two vacancies will be filled up, the
Comelec can fully assure the public of a successful conduct of
elections in ARMM," she added.
De Villa said the early appointment would
also benefit the public as they will have more time to assess
the appointees before the August 11 polls.
The poll body has already appointed
commissioners-in-charge (CICs) in the six ARMM provinces of Sulu,
Tawi-Tawi, Shariff Kabunsuan, Maguindanao, Basilan and Lanao del
Sur.
Malacañang had also earlier created a search
panel that will deliberate on possible appointees to the Comelec
posts. The Palace, however, has been slow in filling up vacant
posts at the agency. It appointed Jose Melo chairman only last
February although his predecessor Benjamin Abalos had resigned
last Oct. 1 yet. – Gerard M. Naval
