Magdalo solons: Stop poll duties

CEBU, Philippines - Two Cebuano partylist lawmakers are seeking to prohibit employees of local government units from performing election-related duties at the field offices of the Commission on Elections.

Magdalo Representatives Gary Alejano and Francisco Ashley Acedillo have filed House Bill 5022 which also underscores the necessity to provide additional personnel to the Comelec in order to prevent the impairment of the capabilities and outputs of the field offices that will be affected by the prohibition.

“We want to ensure and preserve the integrity and independence of the Comelec,” they said.

Comelec Resolution No. 06-0257 promulgated on March 14, 2006 absolutely prohibited employees of LGUs from performing election duties.

However, the Comelec revoked the Resolution when it promulgated Resolution No. 06-0835 on August 9, 2006 which allowed casual and regular employees of LGUs to perform clerical/maintenance functions in the agency’s field offices.

“The subsequent Resolution No. 06-0835 clearly undermines the independence of the Commission as mandated by the Constitution,” the lawmakers pointed out.

The 1987 Constitution prescribes that the Comelec should be an independent Constitutional body tasked, among others, to enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, and recall.

In 2009, they noted, the Comelec again revoked Resolution No. 06-0835 after it promulgated Resolution No. 09-0333 on June 9, 2009 that prohibited casual and regular employees in Comelec field offices.

“Although it is comforting to know that LGU employees are once again prohibited from performing office functions in Comelec field offices, it can be noted that the Commission may once again reinstate the assailed policy and jeopardize, yet again, the integrity and independence of the Commission,” the authors stressed.

The bill is now referred to the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms. –(FREEMAN)