Comelec exec finally secures CA panel’s nod

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio during her confirmation hearing with the Commission on Appointments (CA) at the Senate, Wednesday, Mar. 24, 2021. Screengrab from CA Youtube livestream

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest appointee to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) finally secured the nod of a panel of the Commission on Appointments (CA) after her confirmation as poll body commissioner was deferred twice.

On Wednesday, the CA Committee on Constitutional Commissions and Offices approved and recommended the ad interim appointment of Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio.

An earlier hearing last December was suspended to give Ferolino-Ampoloquio time to provide necessary documents to the committee, specifically on her husband’s rice and cornmeal family business.

She faced the CA panel again last Mar. 10, where she was quizzed over the low number of registrants, barely six months before the September 30 deadline given to voters to register for the 2022 elections.

Due to lack of time, the committee had to suspend its deliberations anew and scheduled Wednesday’s hearing to further discuss the nominee’s qualifications.

Duterte nominated Ferolino-Ampoloquio as Comelec commissioner on Nov. 26.

Ferolino-Ampoloquio first joined Comelec as an emergency laborer in 1994 and became an election assistant for 12 years.

She was an election officer for a decade and became Davao del Norte’s provincial election supervisor before being nominated.

The panel’s recommendation will be transmitted to the CA plenary for either adoption or rejection.

EDV