Comelec advisory council reestablished for 2022 polls

The members are from the academe, non-government electoral reform organizations, ICT professional organizations, and select government agencies. (File Photo By Elmer B. Domingo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – The nine-member Commission on Elections (Comelec) Advisory Council has been reconstituted for the May 2022 national and local elections.

In a statement on Tuesday, the poll body said the members of the advisory body should be registered voters and who are of known independence, competence, and probity, which are required under the law.

The de facto chairman of the council is Secretary Gregorio Honasan II of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

The members are from the academe, non-government electoral reform organizations, ICT professional organizations, and select government agencies.

It is composed of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano and Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Alain del Pascua as representatives from the government.

Dr. Jan Michael Yap from University of the Philippines, is the representative from the academe; Isabelita Ojeda from the Information System Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Manila Chapter, lawyer Samuel Matunogas from the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP), and Jonathan D.

de Luzuriaga from the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), are the representatives of ICT organizations.

Dr. William Emmanuel S. Yu from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), and Angel S. Averia, Jr. from National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), are the representatives from non-government electoral reform organizations.

The functions of the body, pursuant to Republic Act 9369 or the Automated Election Law, is to recommend the most appropriate, secure, applicable, and cost-effective technology to be applied in the automated election system (AES).

Likewise, it is tasked to provide advice and assistance on matters affecting the implementation of the automated election system.