New COMELEC, CSC executives named

by | Apr 5, 2011 | Headlines, National News

PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III appointed on Monday a 37-year-old lawyer and a 61-
year-old state auditor as commissioners of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Civil
Service Commission (CSC), respectively.

Christian Robert Lim, who was a member of the Bantay Balota group of then presidential
candidate Aquino and his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas, was designated Comelec
commissioner, replacing Gregorio Larrazabal, who retired in early February.

Lim served as an associate of the Carpio, Villaraza and Cruz Law Offices, popularly known
as The Firm, from 1998 to 2000, and was endorsed by former Special Prosecutor Dennis
Villa Ignacio, an ally and former subordinate of the law office’s senior partner Simeon
Marcelo.

He also served as private prosecutor in the plunder case against deposed President Joseph
Estrada, as well as in the murder charges leveled against Sen. Panfilo Lacson. At present,
he is a managing partner at Lim & Leynes Law Offices.

Rasol Lamping Mitmug, Commission on Audit director for Region 11 based in Davao City,
was appointed CSC commissioner in place of Cesar Buenaflor, who also once served as
commissioner of the defunct Presidential Anti-Graft Commission under former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Mitmug counted as references former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and his senator-
son Teofisto III, former Senate President Jovito Salonga, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad
and Samar Rep. Raul Daza, a Liberal Party stalwart.

Both Lim’s and Mitmug’s fixed seven-year terms will end on Feb. 2, 2018. (PIA)

COMELEC: No drug test for SK, Barangay bets

by | Sep 28, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita

THERE will be no drug test required for candidates running in the coming back-to-manual Sangguniang Kabataan ang barangay elections on October 25, said Bohol Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Eliseo Labaria.

The Comelec provincial boss issued the statement in an interview since no Comelec policy requiring candidates for drug test in the conduct of the elections and filing of the certificate of candidacy starting October 1, 2010.

The Comelec will conduct the said elections back to manual or no more use of poll count optic scan (PCOS) machines.

Atty. Labaria said that the Comelec has re-clustered the precinct composition of voters, reducing the number of voters to some 500 in 2 or 3 clustered precincts from a thousand lumping five precincts during the May 10, 2010 elections.

Consequently, canvassing of votes cast after the elections will be done in old-fashion way – manually, using the ballot boxes. (PIA)