The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) wants the appointment of “independent” new members of the Commission on Election (Comelec) en banc ahead of the 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Namfrel Secretary General Eric Alvia said the appointment of the proper officials will affect the credibility and the conduct and outcome of the next polls.
He said the new Comelec commissioners should display competence and integrity.
“People will look at the independence of the commission as a gauge how the elections will be conducted. So it is very important that whoever replaced them will satisfy this criteria of independence,” Alvia said in an online briefing last Tuesday.
Namfrel issued the statement as Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas, as well as Commissioners Rowena Guanzon and Antonio Kho, are set to retire on Feb. 2, 2022.
The remaining three Commissioners are Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, and Aimee Ferolino.
Namfrel hopes the “inclusive” process for the selection of the new commissioners will start as early as this month so they could already “come on board” Comelec even before Feb. 2022.
Comelec earlier said it is currently operating on a tight schedule as it prepares for the 2022 NLE amid the novel coronavirus disease pandemic (Covid-19), which would entail additional preparations.