Comelec ban on bet substitution lauded

Two House lawmakers on Thursday welcomed the move of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to stop candidates from “making a mockery of and turning the elections into a circus” through the “tactic” of substitution. At a press briefing, Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong commended the poll body, saying, “The electoral process is [at] the core of our democratic system, and substitution should not have a place in it.” “We should insulate our electoral processes from any strategy or tactic that would appear as if we were holding a circus,” he added. Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. also observed that substitution was responsible for delays in Comelec’s printing of ballots “because they have to wait if the person who filed the certificate of [a] candidate would turn out to be a substitute.” Abante said Comelec’s move was a reminder that in elections, loopholes or tactics should not be used to manipulate people. Jeanette I. ANDRADE