Newly-installed Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia has nothing but high respect for Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III who is hoping for reforms in the current election system.
"Such a wise advice from the former Senate President, former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and presently the Minority Floor Leader cannot be disregarded and must be treated with the highest respect," Garcia said in a statement sent to reporters.
He added that Pimentel's vast knowledge of electoral processes and reforms is "unquestioned".
In an interview on Teleradyo on Thursday, Aug.4, Pimentel stated that he hopes that the poll body's leader is a "reformer" and should not be happy with the existing electoral system.
"Kasi ang unang step (Because the first step) in solving a problem is to realize that we have a problem," he added.
Pimentel also mentioned that there is a need to review the election system as well as the automated count and that Congress and Comelec should be open to it.
Garcia, an election lawyer, previously served as poll commissioner but was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) last June. His appointment as Comelec chair was announced on August 1 by Malacañang and he officially assumed his post on August 3 a day after he took his oath.