Comelec, PARTICIPATE to work together on key electoral reforms

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Significant changes can be expected in the coming months with the recently agreed partnership between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the PARTICIPATE. Top officials and representatives of the two key electoral reform organizations met last January 31 to identify potential engagements and collaborations.

Comelec Chair George Garcia and PARTICIPATE Chief of Party Dr. Julio Teehankee exchanged ideas on how to push much-needed and relevant policy as well as institutional reforms in the electoral processes, especially in the areas of vote buying, campaign financing, and political party development.

Partnership initiatives that will strengthen the formulation of the reforms were identified.

On the same occasion, Garcia extended a sincere invitation for PARTICIPATE to be a stakeholder partner in the upcoming 2023 National Elections Summit in March which Comelec is organizing.

A formal signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for this particular partnership is expected in February 2023.

Reciprocating the gesture, Dr. Teehankee invited Comelec to take part in the upcoming democracy summit of the PARTICIPATE in May 2023 which will be their capstone event.

During the visit, PARTICIPATE also made a courtesy call to the office of Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino where they were received by her Chief of Staff, Atty. Dan Ferolino.

The coalition introduced ongoing PARTICIPATE initiatives and other plans for 2023.

PARTICIPATE is a non-partisan, pro-democracy coalition composed of the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG), National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), and Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS).