Parreño to replace Lim as acting Comelec chair

Acting Chairman Christian Robert S. Lim (Photo by COMELEC)

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Al Parreño is set to replace incumbent Acting Chair Christian Robert Lim who is set to officially retire from the service on Friday.

In a statement Thursday, the poll body said the next Acting Chair was chosen by the Commission en banc.

“Comelec Commissioner Al A. Parreño has been chosen by the Commission en banc to be the next Acting Chair, upon the retirement tomorrow, Feb. 2, of incumbent Acting Chair Christian Robert Lim,” it added.

It said that Lim disclosed the selection during a hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Elections on Thursday.
At the same time, the outgoing acting poll body chief also announced that Comelec Director Teopisto Elnas Jr. had been designated by the en banc as Project Management Office (PMO) head.

The PMO director is in charge of the implementation of the poll body’s automated elections system (AES) program.

Last October, the senior Comelec official was designated as acting chair, replacing Juan Andres Bautista.

Also retiring from the service on Friday is Commissioner Arthur Lim.

This means the poll body will be left with four commissioners, namely Parreño, as acting Chairman and Commissioners Rowena Guanzon, Sheriff Abas and Luie Guia.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier nominated Abas as new Comelec chairman but his nomination has yet to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments