Comelec chief moves up resignation to Jan. 15

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo has moved up the effectivity of his resignation by at least two weeks to January 15, a poll body spokesman said Saturday, with the implication that a new Comelec chairman is ready to take his place. "Consistent with his standing offer to advance the date of his resignation should the President desire it, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo today advanced the effectivity of his resignation from January 31, 2011 to January 15, 2011," said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.
Jimenez said the matter was "communicated" to President Benigno Aquino III through a formal letter dated January 14. In Melo's letter, he implied that he is giving way effective Saturday so that the new Comelec head picked by Aquino, whose name he did not reveal, can immediately take over. “Should it be the desire of the President to have my successor immediately assume office in an ad interim capacity, and having been informed of such desire, I hereby advance the effectivity of my resignation," Melo said. In a statement sent to media on Saturday, the Palace confirmed Melo's resignation and thanked him for his almost three years of service as Comelec chairman. “The highlight of [Melo’s distinguished record] was the successful staging of the first fully automated national elections, widely acknowledged as the country's cleanest elections in recent history," said Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. Melo's seven-year term was supposed to end in 2015. Last November, however, he said that he will quit his post effective Jan. 31, 2011. (See: Melo quits post as Comelec chairman effective Jan. 2011) Aquino earlier said he is already looking for people to replace Melo and Comelec Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer and Gregorio Larrazabal, whose terms are set to end in February. Senator Sergio Osmeña III, one of Aquino's political allies, earlier speculated that Aquino's Liberal Party (LP) is backing the appointment of election lawyer Romulo Macalintal while the Noy-Bi faction is supporting fellow lawyer Sixto Brillantes. (See: Factions back different men for top Comelec post — Serge) The Palace later on denied the allegation, although Aquino himself said he already interviewed both Macalintal and Brillantes for the job.—With Jam L. Sisante/JV, GMANews.TV