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PRESIDENT Arroyo is expected to announce anytime soon
the seventh and last commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“Anytime, we are expecting the
appointment of a seventh commissioner,” Commissioner Rene
Sarmiento told The Manila Times. The post has been vacant since the
resignation of controversial Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano Jr.
Sarmiento said the names
submitted to Malacañang included former Solicitor General Franck
Chavez and former Immigration Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez—deposed
President Estrada’s lawyer.
But outspoken Lingayen-Dagupan
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz said he did believe the Comelec post would
go to an ally of President Arroyo.
“She will not appoint somebody
who is neutral or from the opposition. She will appoint a
proadministration commissioner. To say otherwise is rather
illogical,” Cruz told The Times.
Commissioner Florentino Tuason
said Comelec officials have no idea about the President’s choice.
“It’s a presidential
prerogative. The Comelec has nothing to do with the appointment,”
Tuason said.
Sarmiento said the appointment of
a seventh commissioner would ease the commissioners’ heavy
workload.
“I think the seventh
commissioner should be appointed for proper distribution of our
work. I think many of the commissioners are overloaded. That is why
we need a seventh commission,” he said.
The present Comelec en banc is
composed of Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Tuason, Sarmiento and
Commissioner Felix Brawner, Resurrección Borra and Nicodemus Ferrer.
The last commissioner slot was
left vacant by Garcillano in 2005 after Congress bypassed his
appointment because of the “Hello, Garci” tape controversy.
The President, who admitted to inappropriate conversations with a
Comelec official, did not reappoint Garcillano after the CA bypass.
--William B. Depasupil
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