Are the 2 new Comelec members fit for the job?

Former senator Ernesto Maceda. FILE PHOTO

AGOO, La Union, Philippines —Are newly-appointed Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioners Al Parreño and Louie Guia fit for the job?

Former senator Ernesto Maceda on Friday cast doubt on whether the two new poll commissioners had what it takes to join the Comelec, describing them as “literally unknown in the legal profession.”

As Comelec commissioners, Parreño and Guia have until 2020 to fulfill their duties as members of the poll body, replacing retired commissioners Amando Velasco and Rene Sarmiento.

Before their appointment, Guia served as the executive director of civil society group Lente while Parreño was the director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

But Maceda still thought “they are not highly qualified to become commissioners unlike the previous appointees who have had more extensive practice or election law practice.”

Maceda felt that the qualifications of the new Comelec commissioners fell “below the standard compared to previous appointees.”

“Do you know them? I don’t know them. They are not even lightweight (but more of) flyweight,” he said.

Recommended by Mar?

Maceda speculated that Parreño, who was with the LTFRB before, may have been recommended by Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.

“I wonder what qualified him to become a commissioner. I suppose since he came from LTFRB, I’m guessing he was recommended by Mar Roxas,” he said.

“They are again partisan liberal appointees,” said the opposition candidate who hoped that Parreño and Guia will be independent in carrying out the poll body’s tasks.

Not enough experience in law

Zambales Representative Mitos Magsaysay wondered how Parreño, who had less than 10 years of law practice, was able to make the cut.

“You must have at least 10 years (of law practice) before you are appointed to a Comelec post. He only graduated in 2004,” she said.

“That is an oversight of the search committee,” added the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) bet.

But with only three weeks to go before election day, she said that they only hoped that the new Comelec commissioners would “remain neutral or at least be objective.”

“There are rumors that one of the appointees (was recommended by) Mar Roxas, the reality is that if you are part of the administration, of course you have the power to appoint people in these places,” she said.

“I’ll just have to live with that,” added Magsaysay.