If the Supreme Court needs 15 justices, including Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) needs seven commissioners, including Chairman Jose A.R. Melo, as provided in the Constitution, particularly at this time that the preparations for the May 10, 2010 fully automated polls are already in high gear.

This was emphasized Saturday by prominent election lawyers and leaders of non-government organizations (NGOs) in reaction to the statement of Melo that there is no need to fill up the position vacated by Leonardo L. Leonida who was not reappointed by President Arroyo after his ad interim appointment lapsed when Congress took a break last June 6 without the Commission on Appointments (CA) acting on his bid for confirmation.

Melo said it will just be a waste of public funds if the Comelec vacancy is filled up because whoever is appointed to replace Leonida will be serving for only two years.

“Even if appointed only to a two-year term, the appointee, when he retires, will be entitled to full retirement and pension pay,” Melo was quoted as saying. The NGO leaders, led by Dr. Cesar S. Cordova Jr. of the Knights of Columbus, former World Health Organization (WHO) consultant Dr. Jose R. Relacion, lawyers Francisco B. Sibayan and Ernesto S. Verdejo of Sibayan & Associates, law practitioner and professor Jose B. Brillantes, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines Governor for Metro Manila Jose P. Icaonapo Jr. and labor-management consultant and general law practitioner Ernesto S. Dinopol, said what is important is to fill up the vacancy with a man of integrity, impartiality, and fairness.

“We ought to have clean, honest and credible automated election and this can be achieved if the Comelec works in full complement as provided in the Constitution,” they said. “Hence we have been batting for the appointment to the Comelec of career official or non-partisan lawyer whose honesty and integrity is beyond reproach,” Dinopol, Icaonapo and Sibayan said.