In January 2022, PARTICIPATE, a non-partisan and pro-democracy 2,500-strong coalition of academe, civil society organizations, youth groups, and sectoral leaders, called on President Rodrigo Duterte to make the appointment of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairperson and Commissioners open and transparent to ensure that the next officials are committed to maintaining the political independence of the electoral. 

The Coalition called on the President to “Appoint individuals as COMELEC Chairperson and Commissioners based on integrity, proven competence, probity, and independence.“

PARTICIPATE emphasizes that these four standards are indispensable so that the integrity of our elections can be protected.  

Appointees should not have a partisan background, nor should they be appointed only because of fraternity affiliation or because they hail from the President’s home province, Davao. As an election management body, the COMELEC must be autonomous, especially from any political force or favor, and must be perceived as impartial. 

Below are the four standards excerpted from the full statement here. 

INTEGRITY & PROBITY:

1. The appointee must be truthful and honest in both words and actions -a life marked by integrity and accountability. This involves demonstrated experience in upholding fairness and truth as they exercise discretion in their decisions and actions.

2. In discharging his/her duties as a public official or private individual, the nominee must not have been involved in or condoned graft and corruption and other acts contrary to our democratic values. He/she should behave ethically.

3. The COMELEC Chairperson and Commissioners must render just, correct, and impartial decisions and do so in a manner free of any suspicion about their independence, impartiality, and integrity.

PROVEN COMPETENCE:

1. The nominee should be considered based on his or her capacity and merit anchored on relevant experiences and aptitudes and not on one’s political affiliation or personal connection.

2. Aside from the minimum qualifications of COMELEC members provided in our Constitution, the nominee should have appropriate knowledge, skills, and relevant experience in organizational leadership, public administration, including proven competence in high-stakes decision making, problem-solving, and contingency planning as we are holding elections under peculiar circumstances.

3. The nominee should have a track record of being open to innovative ideas and criticism. A history of supporting evidence-based reforms would be a very useful trait. The nominee should show adherence to and a deep understanding of the value of promoting participative governance in their previous leadership and management roles.

4. The nominee should commit to employing professional and qualified people who have a deep commitment to upholding the integrity and independence of COMELEC. He/she should promote a sense of pride and mission in public service and values the public’s trust by fulfilling one’s responsibilities to the best of his/her abilities.

INDEPENDENCE:

1. The nominee should have demonstrated the ability to perform his/her responsibilities without fear or favor. In the performance of their judicial, regulatory, and administrative functions, the COMELEC Chairperson and Commissioners must show their independence by ensuring that their decisions and actions are based on their assessment of the facts and in accordance with a conscientious understanding of the law, free from any external influence, threat, or pressure, whether direct or indirect, from any group or individual or for any reason.

2. The nominee should not hesitate to speak up when he/she has uncovered unrighteous, dishonest, and unethical practices. The nominee should have a proven track record of calling out unfair and nefarious practices or supporting whistleblowers in their previous experiences.

PARTICIPATE also called on the President to immediately disclose to the public his shortlist of nominees in order to strengthen “COMELEC’s credibility as an institution and safeguard the integrity of our electoral processes especially at this time when it is most needed.”

CODE-NGO is part of the PARTICIPATE coalition together with the Ateneo School of Government, La Salle Institute of Governance, National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections,  and Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS).

Resource: 

Online learning session on the appointment process for the Constitutional Commission organized by the Ateneo School of Government. Watch the virtual event here.