GMA warned against last-minute appointments to Comelec

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan warned President Arroyo yesterday against filling up the three vacant posts for commissioners at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) “at the last minute” as this would fuel suspicions that she would place “operators” in the poll body for the 2010 elections.

Pimentel cited the case of former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano who was appointed a few months before the 2004 elections.

Garcillano’s appointment became highly controversial in the 2004 presidential election after allegations of vote-padding and shaving (dagdag-bawas) cropped up.

He was later accused of conniving with the President in rigging votes, supposedly evidenced by a telephone conversation that has come to be now known as the “Hello, Garci” controversy.

Pimentel and Pangilinan said it is important to complete the seats at the Comelec to enable the poll body to effectively discharge its functions, especially in overseeing the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) this August.

The two Senate leaders said the appointment of new commissioners is more urgent in view of the death last month of Commissioner Romeo Brawner and the decision of the Commission on Appointments to suspend the confirmation of the nomination of Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon due to an unresolved complaint against him. The Comelec, Pimentel said, is virtually crippled with only three commissioners in office – Chairman Jose Melo, and Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Nicodemo Ferrer.

He said this has slowed down the Comelec’s resolution of pending cases, particularly protests filed by candidates in the May 2007 congressional and local elections and the October 2007 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.

Pimentel said he saw no reason for the President’s continued foot-dragging on filling up the Comelec vacancies, considering that the names of several nominees had been submitted by the Malacañang search committee and non-government organizations like the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and National Citizens Movement for Free Elections.

“I can understand the frustration of our people over the President’s failure to heed their persistent appeal for the appointment of new Comelec commissioners, which amounts to negligence and an irresponsible act,” the minority leader said.

Pimentel reiterated his long-standing suggestion for the President to appoint at least one election commissioner from a list of nominees submitted by the opposition, just like what the late President Ferdinand Marcos did shortly before the February 1986 presidential election.

He said this would erase public apprehensions that the massive fraud that tainted the 2004 presidential election might be repeated in 2010.

Pangilinan, on the other hand, said the Comelec had assured the ARMM polls would be automated, voting would be easy, and vote-counting fast.