Press Release
January 27, 2007

PIMENTEL SUBMITS NAMES OF 5 NOMINEES
FOR APPOINTMENT TO COMELEC

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Nene Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today presented five names from whom President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can choose her appointee as seventh and last commissioner of the Commission on Elections following a Palace statement that it is amenable to accepting nominations from the opposition.

Pimentel said he welcomes the statement of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita that the administration will consider nominees from the opposition in filling up the last vacancy in the seven-man Comelec.

He urged the President to appoint any of the following as Comelec commissioner:

Former Human Rights Commissioner Nasser Marahomsalic, former Immigration Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, former Solicitor General Frank Chavez, San Beda law Professor Edna Batacan and Atty. Wendel Avisado of Davao.

Pimentel said he came up with these names if only to show that there are many people highly qualified for the Comelec post that can be recommended by the opposition.

He said the appointment of an opposition nominee is one logical option that should be seriously considered in view of the refusal of Chairman Benjamin Abalos to resign and heed the strong public clamor for a revamp of the Comelec leadership in order to restore the credibility of and public trust in the poll body.

Unless the Comelec undergoes some kind of cleansing process, said it will always be hounded by the ghost of the Hello Garci and the P1.3 billion MegaPacific poll automation scandals which has badly eroded the peoples faith in the ability of the poll body to conduct honest, orderly and credible elections, he said.

Pimentel said that upon the appointment of an opposition nominee in the Comelec, his or her primary concerns are to ensure that the poll body will not act in a partisan manner, it will resolve complaints and election cases fairly and in conformity with law, and it will take appropriate steps to prevent all forms of cheating.

He said that any of the recommendees he has put forward will not cheat in favor or against the administration candidates.

Unless some meaningful and bold steps are taken to cleanse the Comelec of its tainted image, how can you assuage the peoples fears that the coming elections will be tainted by fraud on a massive scale, just like the 2004 presidential contest?

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