Comelec reshuffles supervisors for May elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will reshuffle its poll supervisors as part of the preparation for the May 9 elections.

Among those affected in the reshuffle which would take effect on Feb. 16 were poll officers on Negros Island, Cebu, Aklan and Bohol.

Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Cebu election supervisor, will be transferred to Negros Oriental, replacing poll supervisor Eddie Abba.

Castillano would be replaced by Eliseo Labaria, Bohol provincial election supervisor, while Jerome Brillantes of Siquijor would take over Comelec-Bohol.

Negros Occidental Election Supervisor Jessie Suarez would be replaced by lawyer Ian Lee Ananoria of Aklan. Castillano explained that their new assignment would cover only the election period.

They would return to their old posts on June 9, when the election period was over.

He said the reshuffle was meant to avoid accusations of partiality of election supervisors by candidates during the polls.

“That’s why they put supervisors in places where they are not from,” explained Castillano.

In the case of Castillano, he was born in Minglanilla town in southern Cebu, but grew up in Bukidnon. But he considers Cebu his home. Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she requested for an en banc meeting on Tuesday so they could pass a resolution that would authorize the reassignments of the provincial directors.

Castillano, who had been Cebu poll supervisor since 2007, recalled that the Comelec also reshuffled their provincial election officers before the May 2013 elections.

He was also transferred to Bohol at that time. Labaria, on the other hand, has been Bohol election supervisor since 2010.

In 2007 polls, he was assigned to Bantayan Island which was placed under Comelec control following the killing of Sta. Fe mayoral bet Rogelio “Docdoc” Ilustrisimo Sr.

Ilustrisimo was shot dead in front of the Comelec Cebu office inside the Capitol compound in April 2007