A NEW regional director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will take office this week, less than a month until the country’s first automated elections.
Regional Director Ray Rene Buac will be reassigned to Western Visayas while his assistant regional director, Veronico Petal-corin, will move to Eastern Visayas.
Buac will trade places with the director of Region 6, lawyer Dennis Ausan, while Petalcorin will assume as the new assistant regional director in Region 8. Nationwide, at least 10 regional directors received new assignments.
The Comelec assured the changes will not derail preparations for May 10, although some adjustments can be expected.
“They (the new officers) are not aware of the Cebuano culture; they do not know the politicians and officials of the police and the Army in Cebu,” said Buac.
“I know I also have a lot of work to do when I arrive there (Iloilo) kay wa pa pod ko’y kaila (because I hardly know anyone), but I have already met the regional director of the PNP and some officials of the Army in Iloilo,” he said.
Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano confirmed he will also be affected. He will assume as assistant regional director of Comelec 7, while still sitting as Cebu provincial supervisor.
Castillano said the Comelec en banc’s order on the new assignments was supposed to take effect last Saturday. A formal turnover will still take place, probably today.
When asked if it would be hard to get acquainted with a new job, Castillano just said, “We can’t do anything about it. As a soldier, we just have to follow.”
He said it will not affect the elections, though. The bulk of the work for this year’s elections will be carried by the election officers, he added.
Castillano said he is still awaiting approval of his recommended transfer of some election officers, because of the creation of three new cities that will need lawyers as election officers.
Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said the movement of the poll body’s regional directors is exempted from the ban to reassign government officials and employees during the election period.
Petalcorin said he received the Comelec en banc resolution last week and the order will take effect immediately.
They still have to orient their successors before they will assume their new assignments.
Buac and Petalcorin have both served Comelec 7 for over three years.
Petalcorin said, though, the reshuffling is only temporary and he is confident they will be reassigned back in Region 7 when the election period ends in June.
“As the elections draw near, some movements in field officers are expected,” he said.
Petalcorin said that election officers will be reshuffled in the next few days, after the regional and assistant regional directors assume their new posts.
Cebu City North District Election Officer Marchel Sarno is also waiting for his new assignment, after his transfer to another city was recommended.
The Comelec needs more lawyers in the province to preside over the canvassing in the new cities of Naga, Carcar and Bogo.
In the 2007 election, Sarno chaired the board of canvassers in Cebu City, but under Comelec policy, one should not serve in successive elections in the same place.
Election officers with relatives running for office in their jurisdiction may also be transferred.
Interviewed separately, Buac said he will serve as an adviser to the new regional director, who is expected to arrive today. He also will rely on Ausan as his adviser when he assumes office in Region 6.