Comelec revamp starts today

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections is reshuffling effective today the provincial election supervisors in preparation for the upcoming elections.

Bohol election supervisor Eliseo Labaria will assume today as acting provincial election supervisor in Cebu. His transfer is part of the temporary reshuffling of assignments of all Comelec officials.

Labaria will replace election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, who will also report in Negros Island, replacing election supervisor Eddie Abba.

In a phone interview, Castillano said he would formally turn over his position to Labaria today before travelling to Negros. Apart from Cebu and Bohol, also affected by the revamp are the provincial election offices in Aklan, Siquijor, and Negros.

Election supervisor Jerome Brillantes of Siquijor will be sent to the provincial election office in Bohol. Comelec implemented the revamps as part of its objective to achieve credible elections.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista earlier explained that it would also forestall any insinuations of partiality and bias on the part of the Comelec officials.

The temporary assignments run until the end of election period which is on June 8. They will report back to their positions the next day. The election period started January 9.

Comelec has 16 regional election directors, 80 provincial election supervisors and over 1,500 election officers nationwide.

Meanwhile, some 18 vote counting machines arrived yesterday at the Comelec-Cebu office.

Castillano said the machines will be used for the trainings of the election officers and members of the Board of Election Inspectors.

The trainings are slated on February 17 to 19 for the election officers and election assistants, and March 1 for BEIs.

Castillano said the election officers will in turn train the BEIs.  (FREEMAN)