Former Comelec commissioner runs for senator

Even the Commission on Elections (Comelec) itself will appear to be running in the 2010 elections, or will at least be represented by former poll body commissioner Amado Calderon who formalized his senatorial bid on Tuesday. Calderon, 73, filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) with the Comelec on Tuesday, saying that the country needs change – something which he said he can bring.

“Kailangan natin pagbabago sa ating bansa, mula sa mga bata hanggang sa matatanda. Lahat ng kilos natin nakakahiya, kailangan mabago tayo (We need to change our country, from its youth to its elders. All our actions are shameful, we need to change)," he said. He said there is a need to specifically change the election system in the country. “Yung mga botante na nagpapabili ng boto nila, gumagastos ng bilyun-bilyon ang mga kandidato (Voters who sell their votes makes candidates spend billions of pesos)," he said. He added that the full automation of the 2010 elections is a “gamble." “We don’t know what the outcome will be, it’s better to try," he said. But asked to suggest how he can improve next year’s polls, he just said “hindi ko alam yan (I don’t know that), that is a technical job." Calderon said he will be running under the Lapiang Manggagawa of Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, who recently backed out of the presidential race. Calderon was appointed by former President Fidel Ramos as poll body commissioner. But he was only able to formally serve from February 16, 2008 until June 30, 2008 because he was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments. Before he became Comelec commissioner, he was a regional trial court judge in provinces like Rizal and Bulacan. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV