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Lawyers urge Comelec reform

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 22) — The reorganization of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the sanctity of the peoples’ vote is more primary than charter change, which will not in anyway address the present crisis in the country.

This is the reaction of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Baguio-Benguet (IBP-BB) to Rep. Teodoro Casino and Ret. Col. Gerry Cunanan’s discussion on the present crisis in a forum last week at the University of the Philippines.

Atty. Abelardo Estrada, president of the IBP-BB, claimed that there is a need to restore the integrity of the Comelec as it lacks credibility after it was linked to the election fraud in 2004. Estrada also heads the Criminal Law Desk of the College of Law at the University of the Cordilleras and the more than 3,000 lawyers in Baguio City and Benguet Province.

Instead of a charter change, he urged for the implementation of massive electoral reforms in order to establish incorruptible bureaucracy that will stand for the people’s interest.

“The IBP is opposed to the diabolical move to change the constitution. Cha-cha will not solve the crisis. Neither will it address it (crisis),” added Estrada.

He further said that the Cha-cha is not the solution to the poverty and hunger, caused by the structure of the Philippine society where there is unequal the distribution of wealth.

Speakers in the above forum claimed that the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) administration devised charter change to be able to remain in power when a parliamentary form of government replace the presidential as recommended by the Constitutional Committee she created.

Various sectors continue to demand GMA to step down due to her questionable mandate.

It can be recalled that in the 2004 presidential election, GMA allegedly through Comelec Commissioner Garcillano influenced the conduct of election particularly in Mindanao. The case was among those raised in the impeachment after the election but was dismissed by the GMA dominated House of Representatives. Garcillano appearance after a long period of hiding failed to shed light on the said election fraud.

Under the present constitution, commissioners of Comelec are removable by impeachment. However, observers believe that impeachment against any official under the present administration will not prosper given the composition congress, which is dominated by GMA’s party. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS

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