Article by:
Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has formally designated Commissioner Socorro Inting as its acting chairperson.
"Acting Chairperson Inting will serve in such capacity until a new Chairperson has been appointed and assumed office. Given her stellar performance in helming the Gender and Development initiatives of the Commission these past years, and in streamlining various internal processes in the resolution of cases, we in the Commission are confident of the Honorable Acting Chair's leadership moving forward," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement Thursday.
He added that Inting's designation was approved by the Comelec en banc on February 3, replacing retired chairperson Sheriff Abas.
Meanwhile, a reorganization of the poll body's divisions has been implemented.
Inting will preside over the First Division with Commissioner Aimee Ferolino as member.
The Second Division will be headed by Commissioner Marlon Casquejo as presiding commissioner, with Commissioner Rey Bulay as member.
The cases not yet raffled to a division, or those filed after Feb. 9, 2022, will be raffled to the newly constituted divisions.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said cases respectively raffled to the former First and Second Divisions will be retained in the concerned division in order to ensure the orderly, speedy and judicious disposition of the cases.
“For this purpose, a former First Division and former Second Division are constituted as follows: Commissioner Casquejo as Presiding Commissioner, and Commissioner Ferolino as member, First Division; Acting Chairperson Inting as Presiding Commissioner, and Commissioner Bulay as member, Second Division,” he added.
The poll body's First Division has yet to release the resolution of the consolidated disqualification cases against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Ferolino is the ponente of the resolution.
President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to name the replacements of Abas and retired Commissioners Rowena Guanzon and Antonio Kho Jr.
393 YouTube channels of poll bets verified
On the other hand, the poll body has verified close to 400 YouTube Channels of candidates as the campaign period for national positions has just started.
Jimenez, in a separate statement, said around 393 YouTube channels of candidates in the 2022 National and Local Elections have already been verified.
"Verification of accounts is a step towards ensuring the availability of trusted and credible sources of information for the public a vital part of the fight against disinformation. And that is happening because the Comelec steadfastly pursued its policies, despite knee-jerk opposition," he added.
All official candidates, both national and local, party-list groups and political parties who have submitted their YouTube channel to the Comelec now have a verified badge.
Under Resolution No. 10730, as amended by Resolution No. 10748, websites and other social media platforms used for the endorsement or candidacy of all registered political parties/coalitions and bona fide candidates must be registered with the Comelec.
The verification is in time for the kickoff of the e-Rally live streaming on February 8, which the poll body conducts every night for candidates of all national elective posts via the Campaign S A F E Comelec e-Rally Channel on Facebook and the commission's official YouTube account.
The Comelec has provided all presidential, vice-presidential and senatorial candidates, as well as party-list groups and political parties, a platform for the free livestreaming of their e-rallies, according to a schedule of e-rally time slots per night.
"We have worked with YouTube to verify these channels, regardless of the number of subscribers, and we will continue to work in close coordination as we strive to push out information that will be helpful to the voters through these reliable channels," Jimenez added.
On the other hand, the Comelec’s Education and Information Department on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement with the Rotary Club of Manila South (RCMS) for the conduct of a series of roadshows and voter education lectures on the vote-counting machine (VCM).
Jimenez said the guiding principle of the agreement is the reliability, credibility and maximum security, not just of the VCM but the entire election system, that the Comelec and RC Manila South hopes to engender to the voting public.
He added that the agreement provides greater access to communities where Rotary Clubs are present who are interested in a VCM demo and voter education lecture.
The public may course their requests for a demo and lecture through RCMS.
"With this memorandum of agreement, essentially, the Comelec and RCMS have agreed to collaborate and work together to achieve our common goals with respect to the upcoming elections, at no cost to the Comelec," said RCMS president, lawyer Mario Dionisio, Jr.
Under the MOA, the group commits to organize and facilitate the staging of VCM demo roadshows and lectures, in cooperation with other Rotary Clubs. (PNA)
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