TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – Eleven city and municipal heads of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the province of Cavite have been temporarily reassigned to new posts ahead of the May 9, 2022 polls.

Ten municipal election officers and one city election officer were the subject of the reshuffle, Cavite Provincial Election Supervisor Mitzele Morales-Castro told Rappler on Monday, January 24. 

Election officers in six cities and 12 towns, meanwhile, remained in their respective posts, she added.

Morales-Castro herself has been reassigned to Rizal for the election period. The acting provincial election supervisor of Cavite is Patrick Enaje, whose original appointment is in Laguna.

“Every national election, the Comelec reshuffles its field officers to maintain competency, integrity, and absolute impartiality.” Morales-Castro said in a text message. “We will return to our original stations after the election period in June 2022.”

The reassigned election officers are the following:

• Aniceta Laceda, from Amadeo to Mendez Nuñez
• Myrna Umandal, from General Emilio Aguinaldo to Ternate
• Armando Vencilao, from General Trias City to Tanza
• Corazon Marasigan, from Magallanes to General Emilio Aguinaldo
• Aries Cortez, from Maragondon to Magallanes
• Elisa Ruiz, from Mendez Nuñez to Amadeo
• Jasmin Gilera, from Naic to General Trias City
• Linda Estrella, from Noveleta to Maragondon
• Glicerio Alarkon III, from Rosario to Noveleta
• Joan Romela Erni, from Tanza to Rosario
• Silveria Duquilla, from Ternate to Naic

With around 2.15 million voters in 2019, Cavite is the Philippines’ second most vote-rich province next to Cebu.

Comelec Resolution No. 10742 promulgated on December 16, 2021 prohibits the transfer of officers and employees in the civil service during the election period.

But the poll body, in the same resolution, authorizes itself to transfer or assign its personnel from January 9 to June 8, 2022 so it can “effectively and efficiently carry out its constitutional mandate to conduct free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.”

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Other parts of the Philippines have also already seen a reshuffle of local election officers ahead of the 2022 polls, such as provinces in Western Visayas. – Rappler.com