Aquino statement on appointment of Brillantes as Comelec chief

Statement of President Benigno Aquino III on the appointment of Sixto Brillantes Jr. as chairman of the Commission on Elections: Last January 15, I appointed veteran election lawyer Sixto Brillantes Jr. Chairman of the Commission on Elections to serve out the unexpired term of former chairman Jose Melo. I have always said that correct identification of a problem leads to the correct solutions. Brillantes’ long career in election law has given him extensive on-the-ground expertise, not just of the law, but also of the systems and processes that govern our electoral exercises. The country needs someone with practical knowledge and not just theoretical understanding of election law, and an intensive knowledge of the bureaucracy, who could hit the ground running. We need someone who understands, and can fix, the defects in the system: nuisance candidates who end up disqualified late in the day, leaving too little time to inform the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI). We also need someone who will guide the Comelec to ensure that the laws will not be used to game the system. The Comelec has much to do to ensure cases are resolved, not days to go before election day, or days to go before the contested term expires. Chairman Brillantes’ main task now is to ensure an orderly and credible election in 2013 and I am confident that he is capable of achieving this and leaving a legacy that will culminate a distinguished legal career. [Delivered by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda during a press briefing at Malacañang on Jan. 17, 2010]