MANILA, July 31, 2015— The former chairman of the country’s top accounting firm Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV) is the new chairman of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).
Members of the poll watchdog formally elected David Balangue as chairperson on Friday, replacing Corazon de la Paz-Bernardo who remains as member of the national council.
Balangue has been vice chairman of Namfrel since 2010.
The group said Balangue “brings to the position long and vast experiences in management, finance, governance, and corporate social responsibility.”
“Balangue is expected to steer Namfrel’s engagement in the 2016 national and local elections,” said Namfrel in a statement.
The new Namfrel chief concurrently heads the Coalition against Corruption, columnist at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Member of the Board of Trustees of Habitat for Humanity Foundation – Philippines.
Since 1984, Namfrel has been conducting quick counts during elections and played a major role in the 1986 snap elections.
Namfrel also focused on poll watch, voters’ education, electoral reform, campaign finance, logistics tracking, and random manual audit in the 2010 and 2013 elections with the support of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action.
Until the automation of the elections, it was primarily engaged in parallel vote count or otherwise known as Operation Quick Count. (CBCPNews)