10 Ecija poll execs reshuffled

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, January 11, 2012-Ten election officers of the Commission on Elections in Nueva Ecija were relieved in a sweeping reshuffle of the poll body in the run-up to the May elections.

          Lawyer Panfilo Doctor Jr., Comelec provincial election supervisor, said the revamp is part of the body’s preparations for the elections in the province, identified as one of 15 socalled areas of concern in the May polls.

       The latest to be replaced was lawyer Michael Camangeg, city elections officer of Cabanatuan. Camangeg was transferred to the National Capital Region.

   

       Camangeg would have presided over the conduct of the plebiscite to ratify Presidential Proclamation 480 signed by President Aquino converting this city into a Highly Urbanized City. The plebiscite, originally set last December 1, was postponed indefinitely.

          A Comelec source said Camangeg was set to be replaced even before the plebiscite was set.

          Also replaced were the election officers of the municipalities of Aliaga, Bongabon, Gen. Tinio, Jaen, Licab, Llanera, Rizal and Sto. Domingo.

          Daniel Tabios, elections officer of Licab went to Llanera, replacing acting Comelec chief Cecil Ferrer. Tabios was replaced by Lydia Bolisay, erstwhile poll chief of Gen. Tinio.

          Bolisay’s place was taken over by Magtanggol Abesamis, formerly poll chief in Rizal. Abesamis was replaced by Amiremmus Zerrudo, ex-Comelec chief in Jaen.

          Installed as Jaen poll chief was lawyer Arsenio Reyes, formerly assigned with the National Police Commission.

          Pacifico Gihapon of Bongabon was re-assigned to Sto. Domingo, replaced by Julius de Guzman of Aliaga. De Guzman’s place was taken over by Elvira San Juan, previously of Sto. Domingo.

          Doctor said the reshuffle covered poll officials who have been election officers in their respective assignments for the last four years.

          He said the move was in line with Section 44 of Republic Act 8189 entitled “An Act Prescribing for a General Registration of voters, adopting a system of continuing registration, prescribing the procedures thereof and authorizing the Appropriations of Funds thereof.”

          Under this particular provision sub-titled “reassignment of election officers,” no election officer shall hold office in a particular city or municipality for more than four years.

          “Any election officer who, either at the time of the approval of this Act, or subsequent thereto, has served for at least four years in a particular city or municipality be re-assigned by the Commission to a new station outside the original congressional district,” the provision read. (Manny Galvez)