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THE ELECTORAL REFORM ADVOCATES’
NOMINEES
For Chairman:
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Carlos P. Medina,
48, Lawyer
Atty. Carlos Medina is a graduate from the School of Law of Ateneo
de Manila University. He earned his Master of Laws from the
University of London and Master of Public Administration from
Harvard University. Much of his professional career was spent on
teaching, doing consultancies and advocacy work particularly on
human rights, promotion of democracy and electoral reforms. He is
currently the Executive Director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center.
Atty. Medina is a Co-Convenor of the Legal Network for Truthful
Elections (LENTE) that conducted electionmonitoring work in the May
14, 2007 elections.
The Search Committee finds he best fits the qualities of passion,
dynamism, reputation, track record and personal traits that will
give the COMELEC the new face and new beginning that the public is
clamouring for. His long experience and dedication as a human
rights advocate and lawyer, and his most recent work in LENTE will
guide him in his role at the Commission. His personal vision of
reforms at Comelec, founded on the need to address the problem of
eroded credibility and the return of professionalism and dignity to
the institution’s bureaucracy, are particularly refreshing and
inspiring.
Endorsed by: Benjamin Barreto and Randy Tuano
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Justice Jose A. R. Melo,
75, retired Supreme Court Justice
Retired Justice Jose Melo earned his degree in Bachelors of Laws in
Manuel L. Quezon University and took his Master of Laws at the
University of Santo Tomas. He was a former Commissioner of the
Civil Service Commission. In most his professional career, he served
as an Associate Justice to the Intermediate Appellate Court, Court
of Appeals and Supreme Court. He was appointed by the President to
head the commission to investigate the cases of extra-judicial and
agrarian reform-related killings.
Justice Melo is a much sought-after arbitrator because of his
fairness and ability to bring people together toward a just
resolution of disputes. As the chair of the Melo Commission, he
showed independence by conducting a transparent investigative
process and a forthright report on the issue.
Endorsed by: Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV)
For Commissioner:
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Judge Adoracion C. Avisado,
55, retired RTC Judge
Judge Adoracion Avisado was a former Presiding Judge of RTC Branch
9, the only Special Drugs Court in Davao City, and was awarded by
the three branches of the national government for her outstanding
performance in Judiciary. After her retirement as Judge, she
pursued her advocacy for the transformation of the justice system
and the promotion of human rights particularly for women and
children. She is currently the Executive Director of Transformative
Justice Institute (TIJ).
Judge Avisado is well-known for her honesty, integrity, credibility
and competence. This could be attested by the recognitions she
received for her work, and the endorsements she got from various
sectors in the society including the local government, academe and
the religious sectors for the Comelec post. The Search Committee
considers her as a woman of passion and dedication who could help
bring about change in the electoral process.
Endorsed by: Archbishop Fernando Capalla; Mayor Rodrigo Duterte;
City Council of Davao City; Hon. Pilar Braga; Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ;
Ms. Remedios Rikken; MINCODE ; Womyn Network Group; Holy Cross of
Davao College, Inc.; University of Immaculate Conception; Good
Shepherd Sisters; Ateneo de Davao University ; and Transformative
Justice Institute
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Howard M. Calleja,
41, Lawyer
Atty. Howard Calleja graduated with a Bachelos degree at the
University of Santo Tomas and with a Juris Doctor degree from the
Ateneo de Manila School of Law. He earned his certificate in
International Law at Hague Academy of International Law,
Netherlands; and a Masters degree in International Law at Duke
University, Durham, North California, USA. He is a professor of Law
at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, Far Eastern
University Institute of Law and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
College of Law. At present, he is the National Legal Counsel for
the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
While Atty. Calleja is short of experience in electoral reforms, he
has been regarded by the people around him as a person of integrity
and competence. His work with PPCRV exposed him to the problems of
the present electoral system and equipped him in advocating for
reforms in the Comelec.
Endorsed by: Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV)
and Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER)
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Luie Tito F. Guia,
42, Lawyer
Atty. Luie Titao Guia is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science and Bachelor of Laws in the University of the Philippines,
Diliman, Quezon City. He was an Executive Assistant on Legal
Matters for the Office of the Chairman of the Commission on
Elections during the time of Chair Christian Monsod. He has been
doing consultancies to different organizations and institutions on
election laws and processes. At present, he is the President and
Founding Trustees of the Lawyer’s League for Liberty (LIBERTAS).
Atty. Guia is known to the electoral reform advocates as a man of
competence, compassion and character. His expertise in election
laws and processes has been recognized by various sectors in the
society. The Search Committee believes that his expertise and
experience in Comelec would be beneficial in implementing genuine
electoral reforms in the Commission.
Endorsed by: Lawyer’s League for Liberty (LIBERTAS) and Consortium
on Electoral Reforms (CER)
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Teresita J. Herbosa,
57, Lawyer
Atty. Teresita Herbosa is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in
Political Science and Bachelor of Laws in the University of the
Philippines. She is a partner of the Angara Abello Conception
Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW). Among her professional
achievements, during 30 years of law practice, is her having been
the Head of the prestigious Litigation Department of ACCRALAW for
more than ten years during which it was consistently recognized as
the best in the field. She is also a professorial lecturer at the
University of the Philippines College of Law on Remedial Law. She
is also active in civic organizations like the Rotary Club of Makati
and ZONTA Manila.
Atty. Herbosa’s experience in ACCRALAW proves her competence,
integrity and independence as she has been recognized as one of the
top three litigation lawyers of the Philippines. Aside from her
legal expertise, she has also held several administrative positions,
which could be valuable in pursuing reforms in the Commission on
Elections.
Endorsed by: Sr. Sonia Aldeguer, rscj
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Judge Gabriel T. Ingles,
55, RTC Judge
Judge Gabriel Ingles is the Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 58 in Cebu
City. Ingles finished his law degree in University of San Carlos
College of Law in 1981 where he is now a Law Professor. He took up
his LLM at San Beda Graduate School of Law. He topped the last
Profile Taking of Judges covering all RTC and MTC Judges in the
Cities and Provinces of Cebu City conducted by the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines- Cebu Chapter where he garnered an average of 91.78%
with highest score on integrity and competence. Judge Ingles is
also active in civic organization such as Cebu-Citiizens Involvement
and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-CIMPEL).
Judge Ingles’ experience, educational and professional
qualifications would be of help in restructuring and renewing our
electoral system. He is regarded as a man of competence, integrity,
independence and humility by those he have worked with.
Endorsed by: Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, DD and Sr. Sonia Aldeguer,
rscj
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Ma. Caridad P. Manarang,
57, Information Technology and Business Professional
Ms.
Ma. Caridad Manarang earned her Master of Business Administration at
the University of the Philippines. During the early parts of her
career, she had focused on both the academic and research sectors.
She started out as a mathematics instructor at the university and
eventually became a research analyst and programmer at the National
Computer Institute. Her background boasts of experience at the SGV &
Co. / Arthur Anderson & Co. firm as the regional coordinator of the
Institute of Advanced Computer Technology (I/ACT) and her eventual
post as a member of its Consulting Division (now Accenture). She has
also held the post of country principal for the Unisys Corporation
and has been also a senior lecturer at the university’s Department
of Computer Science.
Ms. Manarang has an outstanding career in the field of information
technology and is highly regarded by those inside and outside of the
IT arena. She would add a critical competence and balance to the
Comelec especially that the Commission is moving towards automation
and election modernization.
Endorsed by: Agusto Lagman
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Nasser A. Marohomsalic,
52, Lawyer
Atty. Marohomsalic has served the government as a commissioner of
Human Rights from 1994-2001 and also had involvements in politics as
founding deputy legal counsel of Lakas Christian-Muslim Democrats of
the Philippines. He has been involved in civil society as member of
the Legal Network for Truthful Elections, Muslim Legal Assistance
Foundation, and Movement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties.
He has published books and articles on peace and human rights
issues, as well as on Philippine laws. He was a member of the
Special Mission of the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Bahrain, United Arab Emirates,
and Kuwait. Atty. Marohomsalic earned his Bachelor of Arts at the
Far Eastern University and finished law at the University of the
Philippines.
Atty. Marohomsalic is a man of integrity and dedication to work. His
experience in advocacy work equipped him in understanding the issues
and concerns on the present electoral system. His being a Muslim
might be of advantage in understanding and dealing with the ARMM
electoral problems.
Endorsed by: Feliciano Bautista and Mahar Mangahas
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Undersecretary Enrique D. Perez,
73, Lawyer
Undersecretary Enrique D. Perez placed 8th in the BAR exam in 1957. He then joined the Poblador
Law Office, and one year later went to the University of Michiganto obtain his Master’s Degree in Law.
Upon completion, he returned to the Poblador Law Office until 1965 when he was invited to join PLDT
as its General Legal Counsel. Rising to the position of Senior Executive Vice President, he retired in
1999. Spanky continued to serve in the PLDT Board until 2003 when he was invited to join the RP
Government as Undersecretary.
Usec. Perez’s integrity, competence and independence are known to
the legal and business arena.
Endorsed by: Amb. Albert del Rosario
SEARCH COMMITTEE
Backgrounder
Concerned with
the February 2008 retirements of two commissioners and the chairman
of the Commission on Elections, the Transparency and Accountability
Network conducted a forum-workshop last September 2007 on the
appointments process to the Comelec. Those who attended the
forum-workshop decided to take a pro-active role in the selection
process and formed the Electoral Reform Advocates’ Search Committee.
The Search Committee is composed of individuals from organizations,
which have been involved, in electoral reform and watchdog functions
during past elections, including the May 2007 elections.
The Search Committee believes that
and open, transparent and inclusive process will go a long way in
ensuring quality appointments to the Comelec. It also believes that
reform advocates must play a positive and active roll in working
towards reforms.
In order to chose nominees
responsive to the needs and challenges of the Comelec, the Committee
decided on adding three criteria to the constitutionally mandated
ones in their search: competence, probity/integrity and
independence. It defined those three criteria in the following
manner:
Integrity/Probity:
A track record of integrity and honesty in public and private life.
Independence:
Non-partisan, autonomous, a reputation for recognizing conflict of
interest situations and acting appropriately, exhibits loyalty to
the duties and functions of his/her office over and above personal
loyalties.
Competence:
Academic qualifications, special
training and technical qualifications, experience in government
service and private practice, record of positions held, and other
accomplishments.
Its search started by making a
public call for submissions of nominations. Many outstanding names
were submitted to the Search Committee. Over the next four months
the Search Committee met constantly to discuss and evaluate the
nominees’ merits, credentials and qualifications. The Committee
discussed the search for chairman and commissioners separately. It
conducted personal interviews with most of the nominees. After
going through a deliberate search and selection process, the Search
Committee narrowed the list of candidates for chairman and
commissioners and submitted these names to the President.
The Electoral Reform Advocates
Search Committee (and their respective affiliations) is composed of
the following members in their individual capacities:
1.
Sr. Sonia Aldeguer (Cebu-Citizen’s Involvement and Maturation
for People Empowerment and Liberation
2.
Feliciano M. Bautista (Integrated Bar of the Philippines)
3.
Ramon C. Casiple (Consortium on Electoral Reforms)
4.
Edgar O. Chua (Management Association of the Philippines)
5.
Amb. Henrietta T. de Villa (Parish Pastoral Council for
Responsible Voting)
6.
Edward S. Go (National Movement for Free Elections)
7.
Christian S. Monsod (One Voice)
8.
Antonio G.M. La Viña (Ateneo School of Government)
9.
Alberto A. Lim (Makati Business Club)
10.
Sixto Donato C. Macasaet (Caucus of Development NGO Networks)
11.
Sr. Rosanne Mallillin (Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines –NASSA)
12.
Mahar Mangahas (Social Weather Stations)
13.
Ma. Aurora F. Tolentino (Caucus of Development NGO Networks)
14.
Benjamin T. Tolosa (Volunteers for Clean Elections)
The Transparency and
Accountability Network serves as the Secretariat of the
Electoral Reform Advocates’ Search Committee, and Vincent Lazatin
its Secretary General.
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Comelec Appointments Watch Project
Update
On 28 September 2007, TAN held a forum entitled “Creating An
Independent Commission on Elections: A Civil Society Forum-Workshop
on the Comelec Appointments” that sought to raise public awareness
on the appointment process; set the criteria and the design for CSO
selection of the candidates; strategize on pubic intervention in the
selection and appointment process; and propose amendments to the
Commission on Appointments (CA) rules (see Invitation). The said
event was attended by 79 registered participants, 59 from the
various civil society organizations (CSOs) and 20 from the non-CSOs.
The forum, open to all the stakeholders both from civil society
organizations as well as to non-CSOs, was held during the morning
session. Ms. Beverly Hagerdon Thakur, Chief of Party of the IFES-Philippines
delivered the welcome remarks and emphasized the need to
institutionalize an open and transparent appointment process that
would ensure quality appointments, regardless of who the appointing
power is.
The forum featured the following topics:
·
CSO Involvement in the Appointment Process by Mr. Vincent Lazatin,
TAN
·
Commission on Appointments Process and the Presidential Power to
Appoint
by Atty. Luie Guia, LIBERTAS
·
The PPCRV Experience and Lessons in the 2007 Mid-Term Elections by
Atty. Howard Calleja, PPCRV
·
The LENTE Experience in the Mid-Term
Elections by Atty. Carlos
Medina, LENTE
·
Priorities on Electoral Reforms by Atty. Christian Monsod, VForCE
The forum sought to continuously educate the participants about the
imperative of good appointments to the Comelec and provide a venue
for discussions on the various problems and challenges in ensuring
an open and transparent appointment process. The forum also
highlighted a call for election modernization.
Atty. Christian Monsod emphasized the need for
commissioners who are IT and management experts to constitute a
competent and effective Commission on Elections in verge of
modernizing the electoral systems
A Press Conference was held right after the CAW forum. The panel of
speakers was composed of Atty. Christian Monsod of VForCE, Ms.
Beverly Hagerdon-Thakur of IFES, Atty. Luie Guia of Libertas, and
Mr. Vincent Lazatin of TAN.
The press conference emphasized the call for a transparent and
inclusive appointments process to the Comelec given the
unprecedented opportunity to revamp the Commission through the
appointment of one chair and three new commissioners come February
2008.
Atty. Christian Monsod stressed that the appointment of honest,
competent and independent chairman and commissioners to the Comelec
is the most important reform that would restore the integrity and
trust in the Commission.
Atty. Monsod also added that politicians should never be appointed
in Comelec since it would be difficult to expect a partisan person
to behave in a non-partisan manner as in the case of the current
Comelec under Chair Benjamin Abalos’ regime.
This advocacy during this interim period of the project has really
served its purpose of keeping the public discussion and media
attention active on the Comelec appointments process. TAN’s
persistent call for a transparent and inclusive process resulted in
media write ups, news articles (see news clippings),and news video
coverage (see video footage in CD).
The dialogue for reform was made possible in the Civil Society
Forum-Workshop through the invitation of Comelec Commissioner Rene
Sarmiento who delivered a keynote speech on “The Comelec Reform
Agenda on the Election Modernization”.
Commissioner Sarmiento pointed out the modernization of
the electoral process is one of the Comelec’s priorities based on
its strategic plans labelled as “Operation MERIT” or Modernization
and Electoral Reform with Integrity and Transparency.
He presented the different aspects of automating the election
systems, their relevance and the current status of the Comelec’s
preparation. He has also emphasized that side by side with the
Comelec’s plan to modernize the electoral process is its plan to
strengthen the Comelec as a Constitutional Institution.
Such desire to strengthen and professionalize the Comelec is a
recognition of the very need to appoint competent and independent
women and men of integrity to the Commission to properly carry out
its duty as a vanguard of the democracy especially that the Comelec
is moving towards modernizing the electoral systems.
The workshops were held in the afternoon and were only intended for
the participants from civil society organizations. There were two
workshops (see Workshop Design) conducted: 1) Criteria-setting for
Comelec appointment, and 2) Designing the process for the CSO
selection of candidates which also includes mapping out of CSO
strategies for intervention and proposed amendments to the CA
rules.
The first activity prompted the participants to deliberate and come
up with common definitions on probity/integrity, competence, and
independence as additional criteria for Comelec chairman and
commissioners, in addition to the constitutionally mandated
requirements. This activity also enabled participants to identify
different indicators that would better define the additional
criteria and provide corresponding weights for each. (see Workshop 1
Output).
Workshop 1provided the participants a venue to level off on the
qualities that the candidates for the Comelec position should
possess and to set their priority criteria in considering the right
person for the post who could help rebuild the integrity in the
institution.
The second workshop was divided into two subtopics: 2a) Designing of
the CSO selection process, and 2b) Identifying strategies for
intervention and proposed amendments to the CA rules.
Workshop 2-a enabled the participants to identify a selection
process that they would like to implement in coming up with nominees
for the Comelec chair and commissioners. As a result, a proposed
formation of a CSO Selection Committee and a design of selection
process were drafted (see Workshop 2-a Output). TAN decided not be
an official member of the CSO Selection Committee because its
primary advocacy is to work on increasing the transparency in the
appointment process. However, TAN volunteered to serve as the
Secretariat of the proposed Committee and help facilitate the
nomination and selection process.
Workshop 2-b succeeded in subjecting the Commission on Appointments
Rules to public scrutiny for amendments in view of increased
transparency and inclusiveness in the appointments process. This
activity generated a considerable list of amendments to the CA
rules. The activity also allowed the participants to identify a
menu of possible interventions to create pressure and push for a
transparent and inclusive appointment process both to the appointing
authority and the Commission on Appointments.
About the Project
The looming political crisis, specifically questions on the
legitimacy issue of the present administration, is rooted in
dysfunctions of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in
administering a credible electoral process. The COMELEC, primarily
charged with the conduct of electoral processes, is a very important
institution in keeping our democracy intact.
With two
vacancies in the COMELEC at present, there is a golden opportunity
to make appointments that will help bring credibility back to the
beleaguered institution. Key to the appointment process is
transparency and accountability.
However,
the appointment process involving Commissioners of the COMELEC is
purely a political exercise in that the President has the widest
discretion over whom to appoint subject to confirmation by the
Commission on Appointments. Additionally, there has been no direct
participation of the civil society in the selection and appointment
process of the COMELEC Commissioners.
The
Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN), in cooperation with
Lawyers' League for Liberty (LIBERTAS), Alternative Law Groups, Inc.
(ALG), Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS), Institute for
Political and Electoral Reforms (IPER), La Salle Institute of
Governance (LSIG), and Konsyensyang Pilipino (KP), with generous
funding support from the International Foundation for Electoral
Systems (IFES), has undertaken the COMELEC Appointments Watch
project to involve civil society, and the public in general,
in the process for selecting and appointing Commissioners to the
COMELEC.
For the
past two years, TAN has undertaken similar projects with regard to
the appointment of the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court justices. In
the successful Ombudsman Watch and Supreme Court Appointments Watch
projects, TAN pushed for a transparent and credible appointment
process, and stressed the importance of civil society vigilance in
ensuring that a person of competence, integrity and independence
would be chosen for the post.
The
COMELEC Appointment Watch project will use lessons that we learned
from the past appointments watch activities to improve our
monitoring, evaluation and participation in the COMELEC selection
and appointment process.
Project Activities
The project shall have the following major components:
Public Information/ Education Campaign. The public information/
education campaign, which
will be conducted nationwide, will be done through a simultaneous
video-conferencing event in Luzon (Metro Manila and Baguio City),
Visayas (Cebu City), and Mindanao (Cotabato City) to inform the
public in general, especially the concerned civil society
organizations of the appointment process that is being undertaken
for the Commission on Elections. The video-conference event will
also be the formal launch of the project and a media event. The
media will be tapped for wider dissemination of information
regarding the COMELEC appointment to generate greater public
involvement and interest in the process.
The public
information campaign will also include information dissemination on
the developments regarding the appointment process and other related
activities through a web page in the TAN site (www.tan.org.ph).
Beyond the project period, TAN will be maintaining the web page to
continue information dissemination on key COMELEC appointments as
may be warranted.
Dialogues for Reform. The project consortium
will organize meetings with three "sectors" to solicit positions on
the reforms that will be put forward for institutionalization
towards a credible appointment process involving key positions in
the COMELEC. The three "sectors" are: 1) civil society groups (e.g.
Consortium for Electoral Reforms, lawyers' groups), 2) legislative
champions, and 3) technical adviser to the COMELEC appointments
process (former Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr.). The meetings
will involve discussions on the immediate concerns (current
vacancies in the COMELEC) and long-term solutions as well
(legislative measures, etc.).
Research and Publication. The project consortium will undertake
research work to support public information/ education and dialogues
for reform activities. The research will also cover monitoring work
on development regarding the appointment process. As a conclusion,
the COMELEC watch consortium will release a publication documenting
the experience of CSOs in their involvement in reforming the
appointment process for key positions in the COMELEC.
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