Comelec eyes reshuffle of field officers by end of 2015

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Sunday it has been studying the reshuffling of field officers by the end of the year in preparation for the 2016 national balloting.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the reassignment of regional election directors, provincial election supervisors and municipal election officers would be part of the standard preparations for an upcoming balloting to prevent conflict-of-interest situations or personal relations with potential candidates in their respective areas.

“We usually do that to avoid situations wherein local Comelec officials are already very cozy with local personalities,” said Jimenez in an interview with reporters.

Currently, the Comelec has 16 regional election directors, 80 provincial election supervisors and over 1,500 election officers across the country.

Jimenez said prior to the reshuffle, the Comelec en banc would evaluate first the need for such and the extent of the revamp would depend on its assessment.

“It really depends on the need. There were times that the revamp affected the regional election directors,” he noted.

He added that in the past, revamps in connection with the holding of a balloting were usually carried out at the end of the pre-election year or in the month of December, five months before the elections.