Reshuffling of Comelec, PNP execs for May polls welcome development
>> Friday, February 18, 2022
EDITORIAL
It is a welcome
development that top regional officials of the Commission on Elections and
Philippine National Police are getting reshuffled in time for the coming May 9
national and local elections.
This should lessen partisanship among officials, candidates and their supporters.
“It has been a series of reshuffles. I think we started first with the regional directors and this was, I think about more than four months ago. After that, we reshuffled assistant regional directors and then provincial supervisors. I think the reshuffling is still ongoing all the way down to the level of election officers,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said last week.
He said the move is being done every election period and periodically under the law to prevent familiarity between Comelec officials and local politicians.
“This is a standard practice for the Comelec,” Jimenez said.
He said the Comelec looks at the history of the reshuffles for enlightenment and better view of the movements.
“Sometimes when a reshuffle is planned, you have to take into consideration the ability of a person to take over a particular position. That causes the delay, why (the reshuffle) is not yet finished,” Jimenez said.
He said the Comelec is also training assistant regional directors, election supervisors and others to act as regional spokesperson during the May 9 general elections.
“Comelec has begun the work of establishing a regional network of spokespersons. In time for the elections, we are training regional spokespersons coming from the Comelec’s ranks of course. These are assistant regional directors, provincial election supervisors and others who are being given the designation of regional spokesperson,” Jimenez said.
The regional spokespersons were deployed and tested during the mock elections.
On the part of the PNP, 39 police chiefs in different areas across the country have been reshuffled as part of the PNP’s rotation policy for the 2022 elections.
The reshuffle was also meant to prevent politicians and officials seeking local government positions from using their authority over chiefs of police for political gain.
PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said several areas in all regions except Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) recently had new police chiefs who were picked by the regional directors.
“At the level of chiefs of police, our regional directors choose or decide who to take. That’s why during command visits and conferences, I reviewed our rotation policy,” Carlos said.
He gave assurance that the appointees were new to the place or have not served full terms there.
Carlos said the reshuffle was part of a multi-pronged approach to prevent local officials from using their power over the local police to influence the 2022 elections.
He gave assurance that the PNP would be apolitical and professional in ensuring the safety and fairness of the elections.
This should lessen partisanship among officials, candidates and their supporters.
“It has been a series of reshuffles. I think we started first with the regional directors and this was, I think about more than four months ago. After that, we reshuffled assistant regional directors and then provincial supervisors. I think the reshuffling is still ongoing all the way down to the level of election officers,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said last week.
He said the move is being done every election period and periodically under the law to prevent familiarity between Comelec officials and local politicians.
“This is a standard practice for the Comelec,” Jimenez said.
He said the Comelec looks at the history of the reshuffles for enlightenment and better view of the movements.
“Sometimes when a reshuffle is planned, you have to take into consideration the ability of a person to take over a particular position. That causes the delay, why (the reshuffle) is not yet finished,” Jimenez said.
He said the Comelec is also training assistant regional directors, election supervisors and others to act as regional spokesperson during the May 9 general elections.
“Comelec has begun the work of establishing a regional network of spokespersons. In time for the elections, we are training regional spokespersons coming from the Comelec’s ranks of course. These are assistant regional directors, provincial election supervisors and others who are being given the designation of regional spokesperson,” Jimenez said.
The regional spokespersons were deployed and tested during the mock elections.
On the part of the PNP, 39 police chiefs in different areas across the country have been reshuffled as part of the PNP’s rotation policy for the 2022 elections.
The reshuffle was also meant to prevent politicians and officials seeking local government positions from using their authority over chiefs of police for political gain.
PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said several areas in all regions except Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) recently had new police chiefs who were picked by the regional directors.
“At the level of chiefs of police, our regional directors choose or decide who to take. That’s why during command visits and conferences, I reviewed our rotation policy,” Carlos said.
He gave assurance that the appointees were new to the place or have not served full terms there.
Carlos said the reshuffle was part of a multi-pronged approach to prevent local officials from using their power over the local police to influence the 2022 elections.
He gave assurance that the PNP would be apolitical and professional in ensuring the safety and fairness of the elections.
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