TARLAC CITY\u2014Nearly a year before the May 2016 presidential elections, President Benigno Aquino III has yet to appoint a replacement for retired Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes.<\/p>\n\n
The President told reporters that he has interviewed a candidate but the latter sounded not to be too keen on the job.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI actually interviewed one that I did offer the position to. The person\u2014whom I cannot name\u2014basically said, \u2018It seems I\u2019m not cut out for that,\u2019\u201d he told reporters, describing the candidate as \u201chesitant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said the commission needs a full-time chair and a complete roster of commissioners to accelerate its preparations for the 2016 national elections in the face of certain roadblocks, such as a temporary restraining order blocking the automation contract.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt is imperative that we have a fully manned Comelec now in the light of so many critical problems hounding the preparations for the 2016 national elections,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n
Albano, a member of the minority, cited the stalled automated election program after the issuance of a TRO by the Supreme Court on the Smartmatic contract.<\/p>\n\n
Three seats in the Comelec have been vacant since early February when Brillantes and two commissioners, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, retired.<\/p>\n\n
Commissioner Christian Robert Lim has taken the helm in an acting capacity.<\/p>\n\n
But Albano said the Comelec could not properly prepare and implement its plans and programs for the elections under an interim or caretaker leadership and an undermanned commission.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWith the automated election program mired in legal controversies now, a fully manned and functioning poll body is better equipped and empowered to look into alternative plans to ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of national elections in 2016,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TARLAC CITY\u2014Nearly a year before the May 2016 presidential elections, President Benigno Aquino III has yet to appoint a replacement for retired Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes. The President told reporters that he has interviewed a candidate but the latter sounded not to be too keen on the job. \u201cI actually interviewed one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":480937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[481,34,45],"tags":[217],"byline":[182,132],"source":[206078],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n