Aquino urged to appoint female commissioner to Comelec

Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday urged President Benigno Aquino III to appoint a female commissioner to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). "Dalawa po yung vacancy for commissioners, mag-appoint po tayo ng isang babae (There are two vacant commissioner positions, let's appoint a female)," Cayetano said during a press conference in Pasay City. Two posts were vacated when Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer and Gregorio Larrazabal officially ended their terms last Wednesday. Cayetano said Aquino should appoint a female commissioner in compliance with the Magna Carta for Women and the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. "Yung partisipasyon ng mga kababaihan ay dapat protektahan (The participation of women should be protected)," he said. "Kahit sabihin nating mas gender sensitive na ngayon ang lahat ng commissioners, iba na yung mismong may babae (Even if you say that the commissioners are gender sensitive, it's still different if the commissioner was female)," he added. Among the female commissioners who had served the poll body in recent years are the late Haydee Yorac (1986-1993); Teresita Dy-Liacco Flores (1995-2002); Evalyn Fetalino (1998); Luzviminda Tancangco (1998-2004); Remedios Salazar- Fernando (1992-1998) and Graduacion R. Claravall (1993-1996). Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda early said that Aquino is "aware" of the vacancy and is already "considering" some people to replace Ferrer and Larrazabal. Cayetano, however, said the President should also solicit the help of non-government organizations in picking the next Comelec commissioners. Veteran election lawyer Sixto Brillantes, who served as Aquino’s legal counsel in the last presidential elections, was earlier appointed to replace Jose Melo as the new Comelec chairman. Brillantes will serve the unexpired term of Melo, who was supposed to retire in 2015. Cayetano said that he will question Brillantes' nomination before the Commission on Appointments because of his ties with his former clients. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMANews.TV