Borra: Don’t judge Macarambon too soon

Resurreccion Borra, acting chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday appealed to critics not to prematurely judge new Comelec Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon. “Assessment will come after his performance. Sometimes perception is different from reality. We will have to see if he can help in reforming the Mindanao elections," Borra told reporters in an interview. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s appointment of Macarambon to the Comelec was earlier criticized by groups led by poll watchdog, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which is identified with the Catholic Church. Critics claimed Macarambon was a protégé of Virgilio Garcillano, former elections supervisor in Maguindanao province, who was accused of manipulating the results of the May 2004 presidential elections, particularly in some areas in Mindanao. On Monday, Macarambon promised to help solve poll irregularities in Mindanao. “I will try my very best in reducing, if not removing, the alleged irregularities in Mindanao. I will bring to the commission my 18 years of judicial experience," Macarambon told reporters as he officially assumed his post at the Comelec office in Manila. “I have yet to see what these problems are but with the guidance of my colleagues here in the commission and being a native of Mindanao, I can help solve these problems in Mindanao. I can say I will be an asset to the commission," he added. - GMANews.TV