IS PPCRV IN CAHOOTS WITH THE COMELEC?

A citizen-based watchdog is now calling foul over a Catholic church-backed poll watchdog for supposedly using its close connections with several high ranking officials of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to block the group’s accreditation with the poll body. The National Citizens for Free Elections (NAMFREL), in a statement, revealed that the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) has been opposing their application for accreditation to be an additional citizen’s arm in ensuring an honest and peaceful 2010 polls.
The unexpected stand of the PPCRV has naturally shocked the leaders of NAMFREL given that the two groups used to work together in several past elections and that the head of the PPCRV, Henrietta De Villa, also used to be the head of NAMFREL. Ironically, it was De Villa herself who claimed that there is no conflict in chairing both PPCRV and NAMFREL and that both organizations can work together to realize the goal of a clean, honest and orderly elections. As such, her sudden retraction is now being viewed with suspicion by the very people she used to work with.
Jose Cusia, NAMFREL Chairperson, also fails to understand why PPCRV is opposing the external unofficial parallel quick count that said organization plans to undertake since it will not overlap with the latter’s pre-agreed internal quick count during the upcoming polls which PPCRV has no plans of even making public. Cusia, further cited that several electoral watchdogs composed of academic and professional organizations, NGOs and various church groups have aired their concern about the PPCRV’s impartiality since it has questionable links and maintains too close a relation with the COMELEC.
Using said allegation as a cue, it was discovered that De Villa is a member of the COMELC advisory council in the automation project. An unimpeachable source also revealed that De Villa was also one of the convenors of the Moral Force Movement (MFM) launched by Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno, who in turn is a very close friend of COMELEC chairman – also a former associate justice of the SC - Jose Melo. Apparently, it was SC Puno who worked for Melo’s appointment in the high tribunal before being appointed as the poll body’s head.
Also, perusing PPCRV’s prime movers has also emphasized the gnawing doubt that said watchdog cannot remain non-partisan and objective during the performance of their tasks in the upcoming 2010 elections. It was discovered that one of PPCRV’s Board of Directors, Johnny O.R. Cardeñas, is also the incumbent president of the movement called Kapatiran sa Pangkalahatang Kabutihan (KPK) which in turn launched the national political party called Ang Kapatiran who is endorsing presidential candidate Jose “JC” De Los Reyes. Clearly, the PPCRV cannot fully discharge its function as an unbiased citizen’s arm since some of its precursors have stakes or questionable interests in the upcoming elections.