Senators note ‘uneven’ representation at Comelec: 5 of 6 commissioners are from Mindanao

MANILA,  Philippines—  Two senators noted on Wednesday what one described as “uneven” and “disproportionate” representation in the  Commission of Elections (Comelec) as five of six of its commissioners are from Mindanao.

It was Senator  Panfilo Lacson who asked about the composition of the poll body when the ad interim appointment of  Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio was being tackled by a panel of the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Lacson initially asked how many commissioners are from Davao, President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown.

“Three, your honor, (out of)  six,”  Ferolino-Ampoloquio said but later added that two commissioners are also from Mindanao.

“Five out of six are from Mindanao? The only remaining commissioner who’s not from Mindanao is Commissioner (Rowena) Guanzon, who is about to retire,”  Lacson then noted.

Senate Minority  Leader  Franklin Drilon pursued  Lacson’s line questioning,  noting there should have been seven commissioners as provided for in the Constitution.

Ferolino-Ampoloquio explained that one slot is still vacant.

“So out of the six posts in the Commission— three are from Davao, two are from the rest of the Mindanao region,  one is from Western Visayas, none from Luzon. So five out of six present commissioners are from Mindanao. Ganun po ba yun?” Drilon asked.

When the nominee answered yes,  the senator directed his question to appointing power as well as the CA: “Isn’t this a little uneven representation? There’s nobody from Luzon, the biggest island, most populated, the most number  of precincts, and only one from the Visayas—Commissioner Guanzon who is due to retire.”

Drilon then thanked Lacson “for bringing  out that fact.”

“We do note that indeed there’s an uneven representation. Five out of six is by any language… it’s  disproportionate distribution of slots,” he said.

The minority leader quickly added though there was nothing in the Constitution that requires that every region must be represented in the Comelec.

Drilon nevertheless stressed that the power to appoint people in the poll body should not be abused to the extent that almost all of its commissioners come from Mindanao.

/MUF