WITH the impending retirement of two commissioners of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), a renowned election lawyer urged President Marcos Jr. to appoint a commissioner from the opposition.
In a statement, Lawyer Romulo Macalintal on Sunday said:
“There appears to be an urgent need for President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., to appoint a Commissioner of the Commission on Elections recommended by the opposition parties.”
Socorro Inting and Marlon Casquejo, both appointed to a seven-year term in 2018 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte, retired yesterday, Sunday.
He said such a necessity is due to the recent temporary restraining orders (TROs) the Supreme Court (SC) issued against several Comelec decisions.
The TROs, Macalintal said, have led to some sectors questioning the “independence and integrity” of the current Comelec officials.
“Restoring, if not maintaining, the confidence of the people in the poll body… could only be done and insured with a Comelec commissioner recommended by the opposition, who could be their voice to be insured of an independent and impartial Comelec,” said Macalintal.
He also said such a suggestion in appointing new poll officials from the opposition is no longer novel as it had already happened in 1984.
“The late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., granted the request of the opposition in 1984 when he appointed then Congressman Ramon Felipe as a Comelec Commissioner on the recommendation of the opposition,” said Macalintal.
The retirement of Inting and Casquejo leaves only Comelec Chairman George Garcia and Commissioners Rey Bulay, Aimee Ferolino, Ernesto Maceda, and Nelson Celis as members of the Comelec en banc.
Among the remaining poll officials, Garcia, Celis, and Maceda are all appointees of Marcos.
On the other hand, Ferolino and Bulay are appointees of Duterte.
