PPCRV to keep eye on newest Comelec commissioner

A Church-backed poll watchdog welcomed Thursday the appointment of Christian Robert Lim as the newest commissioner of the Commission on Elections. But the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting said it will keep an eye on the performance of Lim, who it hopes can help bring needed reforms to the Comelec. "Let’s see how he proves himself. And the good thing about his being young is his idealism and his energy (to serve)," PPCRV chairperson Henrietta de Villa said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site. Lim, 38, is among the youngest commissioners appointed to the Comelec. He will replace Gregorio Larrazabal, who has retired. Lim's term expires February 2018. [See: Aquino appoints campaign team lawyer to Comelec] "(He) would (be) like a fresh wind in the commission en banc," De Villa said. De Villa also called on critics to give Lim a chance to prove his worth amid concerns on his ties with President Benigno Aquino III. Lim had been part of the Aquino-Roxas legal/anti-fraud group and quick reaction team during the May 2010 presidential polls. In a television interview Wednesday, Lim said he will focus on two things: the implementation of much-needed reforms and training of election officers. Meanwhile, De Villa assured the public the poll watchdog group will keep an eye on how Comelec officials will perform their duties. "We would like to ensure that the Comelec not have partisan leanings but only with whatever is just and fair," she said. — RSJ, GMA News