Brillantes backs Parreno’s appointment

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday that there was nothing wrong with newly appointed commissioner Al Parreno not meeting the 10 year law tenure requirement specified in the Constitution.

Article 9, Section 1 of the Constitution sets the criteria of members of the Comelec, stating that “A majority thereof, including the Chairman, shall be members of the Philippine Bar who have been engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years.”

Parreno became a lawyer in 2004, a year short of the required 10 years law practice.

Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. told reporters Friday that five members of the Comelec are lawyers with more than 10 years: himself, commissioners Lucenito Tagle, Elias Yusoph, Christian Robert Lim, and also newly appointed commissioner Luie Guia.

Commissioner Grace Padaca is the only non-lawyer currently in the Comelec. The new appointees can be non-lawyers and there would still be a majority of lawyers, Brillantes said.

“There is no legal implication, there might be some who will raise issues, but regardless we will accept him,” he said.

Parreno is a director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) while Guia is acting executive director of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) at the time of their appointment.

Both will replace retired commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Armando Velasco.

Aquino had previously appointed former Lanao del Norte representative Macabangkit Lanto and Bernadette Sardillo as commissioners but both declined with Lanto citing a past election case and Sardillo stating personal reasons.