By Jerico
Catalla
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SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY NETWORK CALLS FOR REVAMP AND RESIGNATION IMMEDIATE OF
COMELEC COMMISSIONERS
QUEZON
CITTY, Philippines (June 9, 2019) – A
social development and advocacy network has recently issued a statement calling
for the revamp and resignation of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officials
as a reaction, to what it calls as an ever growing display of incompetence of
the COMELEC in pursuing its mandate, especially with the recent abominable
decision to give a green light to the midnight substitution bid of Ronald
Cardema, former Chairman of National Youth Commission to assume the
representation of the party-list Duterte Youth.
“The
COMELEC should be revamped. And urgently so, those who voted in favor of the
midnight substitution of the Duterte Youth party representative, should resign.
This decision is another blatant display of lack of competence in their decision
making, and adds to their already dismal performance in managing the mid-term
2019 election,” Yoly Esguerra, Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc (PMPI)
reiterated.
PMPI
believes that the COMELEC decision is flawed. There were two obvious reasons
why the ruling of the COMELEC should have been otherwise. First, Ronald Cardema
is already 34 years old, and under Republic Act (RA) No. 7941, Section 9, he or
she must at least be twenty-five (25) but not more than thirty (30) years of
age on the day of the election. Second, Cardema filed his notice of
substitution at 5:30 P.M. on May 12, Sunday, contrary to Resolution No. 8665,
which prescribes the filing of pleadings or motions only during office hours on
regular work days.
By
these two glaring facts alone, an independent institution like the COMELEC
should have decided against it. Even ordinary citizens can understand that
these reasons are clearly a blatant disregard of an election rules as
prescribed, the statement added.
Party
List System bastardized by COMELEC
The
party-list system was established through RA 7941 or Party-List System Act, it
was meant to give voice and representation for those who are underrepresented
sectors or groups such as in labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous culture,
women, youth, and other sectors.
We in
PMPI in fact hailed it then as a step to give voice to “voiceless” section of
society where they can bring their issues on the legislative table and push for
solutions and protection of their rights.
Throughout
the years however, we saw the system being bastardized and abused by no less
than the COMELEC themselves as many party lists were which does not really
represent the marginalized were approved by the COMELEC.
That
the COMELEC decided in favor of legitimizing the Duterte Youth as party list
whose main goal only is to support and protect the President Duterte shows lack
of appreciation and understanding of the spirit of party list system.
COMELEC
RESIGN!
The
PMPI calls for the resignation of the five COMELEC commissioners who approved
the substitution bid of former NYC Chairman Ronald Cardema as the first nominee
of Duterte Youth party-list.
We
continue to ask, by their recent actions, who do they seek to please and obey?
Why Ronald Cardema remained in government offices during the election and then
suddenly change mind on the eve of May 12, the day before the election? Who
benefits from retaining a position in government where you have access to
government resources during election? Is this not a strategy to go around the
rule that all government officials who will run in an election should resign
from office? Who engineered this strategy and who will gain and benefit from
this decision?
“We
need a COMELEC that would uphold their own internal rules and regulations and
one that can manage a national election without a 7 hours snags in electoral
result, and who can explain this gaffes in public and with transparency. We
don’t need blind followers. We don’t need more stamp pads. They are too many
already in this government,” Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabllo, PMPI
NCR-Urban Cluster Bishop Convenor said.
Philippine
Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI), is a network of civil society organizations,
rights groups, peace and faith-based institutions pushing for policy change in
governance and helping communities achieved better lives.
The
Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI) is a social development and
advocacy network of 250 plus Philippine church/faith-based groups,
non-governmental organizations and people's organization spread all over the
country, in partnership with Misereor, a social development arm of the German
Bishops based in Aachen, Germany.
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