Ex-spox Jimenez keen on returning to Comelec, says Garcia

James Jimenez, former chief of the Comelec Education and Information Department. (FILE PHOTOS)

MANILA, Philippines — Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez has expressed interest in serving the poll body again, almost two years after being embroiled in a debate fiasco in the 2022 national elections.

Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said in an ambush interview on the sidelines of a public event in Intramuros that Jimenez visited the commission’s office two weeks ago and expressed his intent to re-enter the poll body.

READ: Jimenez not yet off the hook over debate fiasco

“About 2 weeks ago, he mentioned his intention that there might be an available position, but I told him that currently, we are really fully staffed. Unless he officially applies and undergoes the process,” Garcia told reporters on Monday in a mix of Filipino and English.

The Comelec chair, however, clarified that Jimenez is yet to submit a formal application, saying that “no official paper has been filed yet for his re-application here at the Commission.”

The former Comelec spokesperson and public information officer found himself in hot water after the last leg of the Comelec-organized presidential and vice-presidential debates, dubbed PiliPinas Debates 2022, was postponed due to issues regarding payment to the event venue.

The poll body conducted a fact-finding investigation into the issue but has yet to release its resolution.

Following the incident, Jimenez opted for an early exit from the agency.

Despite this, Garcia said that Comelec is still open to accepting Jimenez, provided that a position is available and that he undergoes the proper processes.

“All things will always be considered. [But] currently, as far as we know, his clearance is not yet being processed, so until now, he has not received his benefits yet,” Garcia said of Jimenez’s early retirement status.

As for the possibility of the former Comelec official giving “advice” to some current commission members on matters involving the 2025 midterm polls, Garcia said that Jimenez has no “formal, official, and present relationship” with the poll agency.

“There probably won’t be any appointments made here in any office without my knowledge. So far, nothing has been presented to us regarding any appointment involving him,” he explained.

READ: Jimenez, other Comelec execs asked to explain roles in debate mess

Jimenez was spotted at a Comelec-led memorandum of agreement signing in Intramuros on Monday, sparking allegations that he may again be involved with the poll agency.