New poll officials
THE decision of President Duterte to complete the membership of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ample proof that he wants honest, peaceful and orderly elections on May 9.
In fact, various quarters said the filling of the three vacancies in the poll body gave the outgoing Duterte administration a much needed boost in the eyes of the people as the election approaches.
Duterte named former Lanao del Sur Gov. Saidamen Pangarungan, a lawyer, as Comelec chairman and Aimee Torrefranca Neri and George Erwin Garcia, also a lawyer, as poll commissioners.
A law graduate of San Beda College, Pangarungan will replace retired Chair Sheriff Abas, while Neri and Garcia will take the posts vacated by ex-Commissioners Rowena Guanzon and Antonio Kho Jr.
In announcing the appointments, acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar said Duterte’s directive to the three officials was “to ensure honest, peaceful, credible and free elections” on May 9.
Andanar said the new appointees underwent a vetting process, adding they were not chosen carelessly.
The country’s more than 67 million registered voters, who are mostly youngsters, go to the polls on this day to elect new national and local government officials, including the successor of Duterte.
In the view of many, including ordinary citizens, democracy flourishes when those tasked to administer the country’s polls enforce our election laws, rules and regulations without fear or favor.
And like the rest of the Filipino people, particularly the registered voters, we cannot overemphasize the importance of holding clean, free and peaceful elections on judgment day.
Poll officials ought to keep watch so that unscrupulous politicians shall not be able to subvert the will of the electorate.
