Comelec gets 2 new commissioners

Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday announced the ad interim appointment of Ernesto Maceda Jr. and the reappointment of Nelson Java Celis as commissioners.

This came after the Comelec, in a statement, confirmed receiving the appointment and reappointment papers of both Maceda and Celis.

“Both will serve for a term expiring on 2 February 2029,” said the Comelec.

Celis was previously appointed as Comelec commissioner on August 11, but was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Sept. 29.

The Comelec said Maceda is a constitutionalist and has taught election law, administrative law, public officers, public corporations and constitutional law subjects at the law schools of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), the Far Eastern University-De La Salle University JD-MBA Program and at the Arellano University.

He was also a professorial lecturer at the Ateneo Law School and was a Master of Laws thesis professor at the PLM Graduate School of Law.

Maceda also served as the President Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS), as well as the Executive Vice President of PLM, before becoming the school’s College of Law dean from 2006 to 2015.

He later served as president of the Universidad de Manila from 2015 to 2019.

“I am humbled to be entrusted with the crucial duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Commissioner. The first principle of democracy is that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them,” said Maceda in a statement.

“As guardian of the sovereign will, the Commission on Elections fulfills this task by ensuring that the electoral process is free, fair, credible and honest, orderly and peaceful, informed and meaningful,” he added.

Meanwhile, Celis is a veteran Information Technology Expert Practitioner and an academic.

The Comelec said Celis’ information technology background will benefit the poll body.

“(His) Expertise and long experience in Information Technology will immensely benefit the COMELEC and further enhance the automation of the electoral processes.”

With the appointment of  Maceda and Celis, the seven-member Commission En Banc is now complete.

According to Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco,  the two new poll commissioners are set to take their oath of office before Comelec Chairman George Garcia on Monday, with their formal assumption to office following the event.

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/MUF