Comelec Cebu supervisor to transfer to Negros

A NEW election supervisor will be assigned to Cebu province on Tuesday this week, Feb. 16.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano will be relocated temporarily to Negros Oriental and will be replaced by Atty. Eliseo Labaria, Bohol provincial election supervisor.

“It’s only for the election period, not permanent,” Castillano told Cebu Daily News.

Castillano said Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista wants to dispel the doubts of candidates and their supporters of bias and partiality among election supervisors.

He said the chairman is keen on reshuffling supervisors to avoid issues arising from this perception.

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

Castillano was born in Minglanilla, Cebu, but grew up in Bukidnon.

However, he also calls Cebu his home. He said his assignment in Cebu is permanent.

Supervisors are expected to assume their new posts on or before Feb. 16, he said.

Castillano said he will resume his post as Cebu provincial election supervisor on June 9.

He has been holding his position since 2007. In 2013, Castillano was assigned to Bohol.

Labaria has been the Comelec supervisor in Bohol since 2010.

He was assigned to supervise Comelec control on Bantayan Island in the 2007 midterm polls following the death of Sta. Fe mayoral bet Rogelio “Docdoc” Ilustrisimo Sr. prior to election day.

Ilustrisimo was shot dead in front of the Comelec Cebu office located within the Capitol compound in April.

Castillano said he hasn’t been assigned to Negros Oriental or Siquijor before.

“(Comelec Central Visayas) Director Jose Nick Mendros wants us to go to places we’ve never been,” he said.

Mendros was reassigned to the Comelec-Central Visayas office from Eastern Visayas last month.