COMELEC sets early voter's registration for 2013 polls

MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA — Starting May 3, new and eligible voters for the upcoming 2013 elections can start filing their applications, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

“We are urging all eligible first-time voters who will turn at least 18 years old on May 2013 to file their voter's registration this early.  Let us avoid last-minute registrations so we can take part in electing our nation's leaders,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.

Deadline of registration is October 31, 2012 but the Comelec is encouraging early registration so it can prepare better for the conduct of automated polls with the use of special ballots, such as those used in the May 2010 national elections, he added.

Aside from first-time voters, persons who want to transfer registration records to a new residence; change, update or correct entries such as those for newly-wed women who changed surnames; and voters whose records were deactivated for failure to vote in the past two elections can also file their applications within the registration period.

All voter applications must be personally filed at the office of the election officer in the municipal or city office where the applicant resides and wishes to vote.

Voters no longer need to bring photographs because his or her biometrics records composed of a digital photograph, fingerprints, and signature will be entered in data capturing machines during the filing of registration.

The biometrics registration is important to purge the voter's list of duplicate registration records and to update records of voters who were unable to enroll their biometrics information with Comelec, according to Resolution No. 9149 promulgated on February 22.

Applications will be received from Monday to Saturday, inclusive of holidays during regular office hours from 8am to 5pm.  There will be no registration on December 22 to January 2 for the Christmas break.

Schedules for satellite registration in highly-populated areas will be announced after coordination with Comelec municipal and town offices.

Applicants must bring any valid school or government ID to register. Community tax certificates (Cedula) and certifications from the barangay will not be honored as valid identification documents.

For inquiries, contact the Comelec education and information department at (02) 525-9294. - By: Anna Valmero

COMELEC employees welcome appointment of new poll commissioner Lagman

Members of the Alliance of Commission on Elections Employees in Service (ACES) on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of veteran IT expert Augusto "Gus" Lagman as the new Comelec commissioner.

“Though the ACES earlier hoped for an insider, Mr. Lagman’s appointment to the seven-member collegial body is certainly welcome news," ACES vice president for internal affairs Mac Ramirez said in a statement Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Malacañang announced that Lagman will be replacing retired poll commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, whose term ended last February.

Ramirez said that Lagman's IT knowledge will be of "tremendous use" for the Comelec while it gears up for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections in August.

“We hope, however, Lagman wouldn’t turn-tail on his advocacy for transparency and credibility of the automated elections in the country now that he is inside the agency he helped keep in check for several years already," he said.

He likewise said he hopes the newly appointed Comelec official will also champion the welfare of the more than 6,000 Comelec rank and file employees nationwide.

“We urge him to also join us in our fight for job security, better working conditions, decent wages and in our democratic right to organize and negotiate with management concerning our welfare," Ramirez said. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News

Veteran IT expert Gus Lagman is new COMELEC commissioner

Agusto C. Lagman

MANILA, Philippines - President Noynoy Aquino has appointed IT professional Augusto C. Lagman as Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner for a term that will expire until February 2, 2018, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced today.

Lagman is currently chairman of Vinta Systems, Inc, developer of AI-oriented software products. He is also director of STI College Recto and Biometrix Technologies, according to his curriculum vitae. 

Valte said it was Lagman’s “competence” that made him clinch the position. Valte said the President has always expressed his intention to appoint an IT expert “given the issues that the commission had faced during the last election.”

Asked why it took the President almost three months to name the appointee for the vacant slot, Valte said, “The President really wanted to find the right persons for the job. And sometimes it really takes quite some time to give over the shortlist and the nominees and you do know that sometimes also the President takes a personal hand in interviewing some nominees for any prospective position.”  [By Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News]

Commissioner Lim to focus on Electoral Reforms & Training of Election Officers

COMELEC Commissioner Christian Robert Lim

Newly appointed Commission on Elections (COMELEC) commissioner Christian Robert Lim said he felt "overwhelmed" after his first en banc session but is challenged to do reforms in the electoral system.

In an interview on GMA Network's Unang Balita on Wednesday, Lim said his experience in the last elections showed him the kinds of reforms that he wants to implement in the Comelec, especially in the precinct level.

Aside from crafting resolutions, he said he wants to focus more on implementing what's already there, especially training election personnel and teachers to get them ready for the next automation elections.

He said the teachers and other election officers were not properly trained to handle the last automated elections, which made them panic when something went wrong.

"Mas importante 'yung training (for teachers and board of election inspectors) para wala nang duda kung may nangyayari sa eleksyon (Training teachers and board of election inspectors is more important so there's no more doubt when something happens in the next elections)," he said.

Lim was part of the legal and anti-fraud group of President Benigno Aquino III's Bantay Balota in the May 2010 elections.

But he quickly dismissed speculations that his appointment is a payback for helping out Aquino in the presidential campaign, stressing his new job is actually a "sacrifice."

In the same television interview, Lim admitted he was surprised when he found out he was appointed, jokingly adding that he thought it was an April Fools joke.

On Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced that Lim will take the post vacated by Gregorio Larrazabal, who retired in February. 

Lim said he submitted a résumé because he wanted to work for government, but he did not have any position in mind. Lim also said he did not know who was behind his endorsement. 

He added that he felt sad about having to leave his private law office so soon.

Lim will serve in the poll body until February 2018 if his nomination will be approved by the bicameral Commission on Appointments. — Candice Montenegro/RSJ, GMA News

New poll commissioner denies plot

Commissioner Christian Robert Lim

MANILA, Philippines - The newest commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied Tuesday his appointment has anything to do with preparations by former Senator Mar Roxas for an election bid in 2016.

Lawyer Christian Robert Lim was asked this question in his 1st press briefing before the Comelec media on Tuesday.

Lim said he only talked to Roxas once, and that was when the former lawmaker called to congratulate him for his appointment.”But besides that he wasn't able to talk to me in terms of plans for 2016. It's all speculative.”

Lim was a lawyer for Roxas and President Aquino, as well as the Villaraza, Cruz, Marcelo and Angangco law firm, which has known close ties to Roxas.

“I used to be an associate employee.  I don’t know who pushed my papers if that helped. I'm grateful to those who helped me.”

Lim will serve till February 2, 2018, 2 years after the 2016 presidential elections.

The new commissioner is still surprised at his appointment, saying he feels overwhelmed now that Comelec Chairman Sixto Brilliants has started to give him an orientation on his new job.

“Till now medyo na-overwhelm pa ako to think si chairman brought me up, made me sit in en banc to know dynamics of commission. It's still a learning process.”

Lim said he only submitted a resume, and that he was informed he was being considered. However he didn’t see his name in any shortlist reported by media.

He said he feels now is the time to serve government after turning down previous offers to join government.

Lim is aware of the comparisons between him and his predecessor, lawyer Gregorio Larrazabal. “Mas gwapo siya," he said.

Like his predecessor, Lim said he is also fond of electronics.

Lim is now focusing his energies towards preparing for the regional elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. “Mukhang tutuloy  yung ARMM elections. We hope we can refine the automation process (and) use it to further showcase automation," he said.

Lim will serve with the 1st division, led by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento.

SOURCE:  www.abs-cbnnews.com