Group to submit list for Melo's replacement

MANILA, Philippines - A group of poll watchdogs will submit a list of individuals to replace Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo, whose resignation takes effect on Jan. 31. Ramon Casiple, executive director of the 49-member Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER), said they have scheduled a meeting to discuss the possible replacements for Melo and submit the list to Malacañang.

“I think they already have someone in mind. But we still have to meet on this. Maybe we can do that (this week),” he said.

In 2008, the CER and other poll watchdog groups submitted to Malacañang a list of names of their preferred Comelec chairman, and among them was Melo. 

Casiple said they earlier picked lawyer Carlos Medina as a good replacement for the outgoing Comelec chief. But when Medina, a member of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections, was chosen as a member of the Truth Commission, Casiple said they were looking for possible replacements.

Casiple added that integrity, independence and a good track record are vital in choosing Melo’s replacement who would continue his unfinished term until 2015. This developed as election lawyer Romulo Macalintal yesterday supported the possibility of having fellow poll lawyer Sixto Brillantes as next Comelec chief.

“President Aquino will never be wrong if he appoints attorney Brillantes to replace Chairman Melo,” Macalintal said.

Macalintal reacted to reports that Aquino was eyeing Brillantes to head the Comelec. Brillantes served as counsel of the Liberal Party during the May 2010 elections.

Macalintal added that Brillantes’ “vast experience and his wide and deep knowledge of poll laws, rules and jurisprudence would certainly insure the institutions of needed poll reforms.”

“Comelec will not be clogged with baseless cases because he knows when a case is meritorious. At present, there’s no problem with the system but the people running the system. Brillantes will have the support of other poll lawyers and the people since they’ll feel confident that he knows what he is doing,” Macalintal said.

While Melo is stepping down on Jan. 31, Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer and Gregorio Larrazabal are set to retire on Feb. 2. This will leave Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Lucenito Tagle, Armando Velasco and Elias Yusoph in the poll body.

Reacting to the pronouncement of Sarmiento that Comelec could ask the Court of Appeals to send a justice to help break a tie during meetings of the four commissioners, Macalintal said such a move would be unconstitutional.

Macalintal pointed out that Article VIII Section 12 of the Constitution prohibits any justice or judge from being designated to any agency performing quasi-judicial or administrative functions like the Comelec.

“The rules of the Comelec allowing the designation of CA justice to the Comelec were based on the 1985 Omnibus Election Code which is deemed abandoned because of such prohibition under the 1987 Constitution,” he added.