TWO election officers in Cebu want temporary reassignment.
Alcantara election officer Felino Mamalias and Sta. Fe election officer Maria Neriza Gigante sent letters to Cebu Provincial Election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, disclosing that they have relatives running for barangay captain chief and councilor, respectively, in next month’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Mamalias said that his brother-in-law Eulalio Largo is running for village chief of Barangay Poblacion in Alcantara.
“In view thereof, I submit to your sound discretion for whatever appropriate action you may take on this regard,” Mamalias said in his letter to Castillano.
No Comelec order
Gigante, in her letter, said she wants to be transferred to another town until after the elections since her father Rizalino is running for barangay councilor in Poblacion, Sta. Fe.
Gigante said that she wants to promote “efficiency, competence, integrity and absolute impartiality.”
In a separate interview, Castillano said that there is no order from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc to reshuffle election officers as the electoral boards and barangay board of canvassers are the ones who officially declare the winners.
But Castillano said he has asked the permission of Comelec 7 Acting Director Veronico Petalcorin to grant Mamalias and Gigante’s request.
Before he was transferred to Mindoro, Comelec 7 director Rafael Olaño had advised election officers to disclose if they have relatives running for public office in next month’s elections.