COMELEC RESHUFFLING
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines (PIA) — Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials in Eastern Visayas will be reshuffled in the region and to other regions starting Monday, January 21 until June this year. Comelec assistant regional director Felicisimo Embalsado said the reassignment is true for all Comelec officials in the country and is aimed at ensuring the credibility of the May 2013 elections. Comelec wants to avoid public perception that familiarity of election officials and candidates would affect balloting results. The two top Comelec officials in the region, current regional director Jose Nick Mendros will be assigned to the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) while Embalsado will be assigned to Region 6.
NEW OFFICER
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — Effective Friday, January 25, lawyer Jomar Betita will be Iloilo City’s new election officer, replacing Atty. Rainier Layson who has been assigned to Roxas City. Iloilo City elections assistant officer Jonathan Sayno said Betita’s transfer was covered by a provision in Republic Act 8189 stipulating that election officers should be transferred every four years “to ensure that the chief election officer does not develop closeness with politicians running in the locality," Sayno said.
CAPIZ M.V.R.
ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA6) — Registration is ongoing at the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) – Capiz Chapter for the second Million Volunteer Run (MVR) on Feb. 10 here. The activity will start at the Roxas City Public Plaza and end at People’s Park in Barangay Baybay. The nationwide event dubbed “Run To Save Lives” will be participated in by representatives of local government units, schools, media organizations, civic clubs and private groups, among others “Eleven local government units (LGUs) have already confirmed their participation in the event,” said PRC – Capiz administrator Nelia Cartujano.
B.J.M.P. FACILITY
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Negros Oriental has secured a P.5 million for the construction of infirmary jail facilities in the province. Due to the increase of tuberculosis cases in district jails, Jail Chief Inspector Rosalina Malahay, provincial jail administrator of BJMP, said her agency was able to secure funding assistance from the Department of Health (DOH) to put up TB jail facilities. Of the P500,000 for construction of infirmary jail facilities, Dumaguete City and Bais City will have an equal share of P200,000 each and the remaining P100,000 will be for Guihulngan City.
SECURITY COUNCIL
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) — To further strengthen security for the midterm elections, a special group was formed recently at the Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial office, Camp Asidillo, this city. Police Chief Inspector and Deputy Provincial Director Edwin Barbosa said the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC) will plan security measures and strategies to assure the public that the May 13 elections will be fair and orderly. Comprising the JPSCC are representatives of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army, municipal chiefs of police and Comelec municipal election officers.