Newly-appointed Commission on Election (COMELEC) Chairman George Garcia on Friday said he will introduce electoral and structural reform under his term.
“Nakasentro talaga ang ating polisiya sa electoral reforms [at] structural reforms lalong lalo na ang good governance, diyan po talaga naka-centro yan sapagkat nakikita ko napaka-importante,” he said in an interview with Gerry Baja and Anthony Taberna during DZRH’s Dos Por Dos.
Garcia stressed the importance of upholding Comelec’s credibility, especially during the election period.
“Kahit po anong result ng eleksyon lalong lalo na kahit maayos, tama naman talaga ang naging result pero kung walang kredibilidad ang nag ho-hold ng halalan. Sympre po nagkakaroon ng duda kahit dun sa halalan. Unfair po yun hindi lang sa mga kumandidato, kundi unfair sa ating demokrasya,” he said.
To start the change in the poll body, Garcia said he first plans to remove officials who will be proven guilty of administrative or criminal cases.
He vows to institutionalize transparency and accountability, starting from the procurement process, particularly in the procurement of election machines.
“Hindi pwedeng kami lang ang mag didikta or kami ay may final say. Kinakailangan mapakinggan namin ang lahat ng sector, and at the same kailangan lahat ng aspeto ng procurement ay malaman ng mamamayan. Sabi ko nga po kung kailangan i-live stream ang lahat ng mga procurement ng mga Commision of Election para ultimo sentimo na binayad sa kanilang buwis kung paano ginastos ito,” he said.
When asked if he has plans to change the voting system from automated to hybrid voting, Garcia said it is one of the reforms he will push.
A hybrid voting election seeks to combine a partly old manual election system and a partly automated election system (AES).
But to transition for a change, he said they have to ensure that the system is "foolproof".
“Ibig sabihin kapag habang binabasa natin ang balota, nakikita ng mga mamamayan na “Ah ayun yung balota ng binoto ko” pero at the same time, ito yung paraan para ma-counter check kung ang makina ay bumibilang na tama. Take note, kailangan natin ng makina para ma-transmit electronically pero kailangan natin ng mata at bibig para mabasa yung mismo balota lang,” he explained.
Garcia said the combination of the two will not only speed up the election result but it is guaranteed to be credible.
The Commissioner also proposed to provide extra allowance to poll workers and teachers, to compensate for the tax exemption of the election honoraria law vetoed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Madali naman po naming taasan o gawan ng paraan dun sa aming mga budget ang kanilang allowance. Halimbawa, Php 10,000 ang binibigay namin, pwede namang dagdagan pa yun upang kung may babawasan mang buwis, yung binawas na buwis ay hindi maapektuhan ang tinatanggap nila sa kasalukuyan para wala mabawas na buwis,” he explained.
He also said they will give additional allowance to teachers when they undergo election duty training.
Garcia is the former election lawyer of President Marcos Jr. He was first appointed as Comelec Chief by former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte last March.
