Tuesday, February 06, 2007 ‘Be accurate and transparent’
A COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) commissioner asked poll officers in the region to do their job accurately and with transparency, even when faced with a shortage in logistics.
Commissioner Resureccion Borra reminded provincial elections supervisors and city election officers from Central and Western Visayas to adhere to the ethical behavior expected of them as poll officials.
Election officers, he said, should protect the integrity, credibility, efficacy and transparency of the May 14 polls.
In a meeting with election officers yesterday, Borra also asked them to comply with the deadlines set by the poll body, especially on the completion of the computerized voters’ list.
Reshuffle
“My instruction was very simple: Do your job accurately and observe transparency at all times. Also, I asked them to monitor the political environment in their areas so they can confer with the PNP on the identification of the possible areas of concern,” Borra told Sun.Star Cebu.
He also announced that there will be a reshuffling of election officers and other Comelec personnel in the field offices, specifically those who have been at their post for more than four years.
Borra, commissioner-in-charge for Central and Western Visayas, said they have yet to identify areas of concern and areas of immediate concern, but they have drawn up a watch list.
“There’s a watch list that was based on the activities of the previous elections, that is why there should be a periodic assessment of the political situation because possibly, some areas will be declared areas of concern as the election nears,” he said.
Insults
As for the proposal to send civic and religious groups to areas of concern instead of police and military men to ensure peace and order, an irate Borra said it insults the men in uniform who are tasked to guard the election process.
Former congressman Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. earlier recommended deploying civic and religious groups and media to these places. He said sending military or police to these areas will only “worsen the situation and create tension.”
“He (Martinez) is entitled to his own opinion...But with the NPA (New People’s Army) holding guns, the language of violence can only be responded with the same language of violence. So we would like to believe that people will first verify their statement because that’s an insult to the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police)...It is improper and improvident,” Borra said after the command conference with the police yesterday noon.
He said, though, that civic and religious groups and nongovernment organizations have been deputized to support Comelec in ensuring a peaceful and orderly election, and he believes they will help make Comelec more efficient.
Honorarium
During the command conference with PNP officials from Region 6 and 7, Borra admitted that the Comelec has very limited funds for the honorarium of deputized personnel.
Because the President has yet to approve the General Appropriations Act of 2007, the poll body cannot approve the request of public school teachers for a 100 percent increase in their honorarium.
The Department of Education personnel who will render election duties as members of the Board of Election Inspectors are asking for P2,000 a day instead of P1,000.
“But we can’t give the increase because the funds will come from the General Appropriations Act, which authorizes us to spend the funds. It has not been signed yet so if there’s no authority to spend, Comelec will only spend what has been allotted for that purpose,” said Borra.
The poll body advised public school teachers to direct their concern to Congress and to lobby for adjustments in the 2007 budget.
Borra assured, though, that despite the difficulties and budgetary constraints, election activities will not be derailed.
He also assured that Central Visayas will get additional ballot boxes if those that were sent to the Senate Electoral Tribunal cannot be returned to Cebu in time for the election.
Ballot boxes from Cebu were sent to the tribunal to resolve the election protest of 2004 senatorial candidate Loren Legarda. (LCR)
