MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be reshuffling around 50 of its officials -- some linked to the "Hello Garci" scandal committed in 2004.
Garci refers to former commissioner Virgilio Garcillano who was allegedly involved in an election scandal which brought incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo landing her current position.
Garcillano's voice was caught on tape talking to President Arroyo about a one-million vote margin for her. Arroyo immediately apologized on national television for the scandal but did not admit committing the fraud.
In the joint congressional oversight committee (JCOC) hearing held Tuesday, poll body chair Jose Melo said that the reshuffling will be done to remove any suspicion and assure Filipinos that the same incident will not happen again.
"There will be movement of personnel. This includes people who have been linked to that alleged Garci case," said Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal during the weekly briefing to reporters Wednesday.
Some officials who will be included in the reshuffle are regional officers who have been in the service for four years.
Larrazabal and Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer meanwhile downplayed the issue that some of the officials have been proven linked to the Garci scandal.
The commissioner argued that they were not proven guilty of committing the fraud since there was no case filed against them to begin with.
"There's no Comelec official currently serving in a field office in the country who has a case filed against him," said Larrazabal. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)