Election officers in Oriental Negros met yesterday in Dumaguete City to discuss certain procedures in case there are requests for verification of signatures gathered by certain groups, for people's initiative to change the 1987 Constitution.

Commission on Election regional director Manuel Advincula

stressed that the commission will only act upon the receipt of letter requests from certain groups, for or against efforts to amend the constitution.

Definitely, Advincula said, Comelec will not verify the signatures at its own risk, in response to the pronouncement of Rep. Francis Escudero, questioning the signature campaign.

Advincula confirmed the conduct of a signature campaign in Region 7, with a number of requests for verification already made.

He pointed out that requests for matching the signatures or to ascertain if the signatories are registered voters in a certain locality, is a ministerial function of the Comelec.

As custodian of the records, the Commission expects requests for verification if the people listed through the people's initiative are the same people found in their official list of registered voters, Advincula said.

But he said this is not on the basis of certifying if the signatures are authentic or genuine.

Advincula added that, on the basis of the Civil Service Law and Republic Act 6713, the Commission has to act on any request within 15 days, or face administrative or graft charges before the Ombudsman.

However, with limited personnel in the field, Advincula said, their efficiency in verifying the signatures is also at stake.*

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