Poll commissioner Kho, Army Maj. Gen. Devesa get CA nod

FILE: Former Department of Justice Undersecretary Antonio Kho (Photo: Philippine Competition Commission/Facebook)

A Commission on Elections’ (Comelec’s) commissioner and a military official got the nod of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, September 26.

The CA confirmed the ad interim appointment of poll Commissioner Antonio Kho, Jr.  It also confirmed the nomination of Roy Devesa, the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in Tarlac to the rank of Major General.

Before his appointment to the Comelec, Kho was an undersecretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under former Justice Chief Vitaliano Aguirre II, who resigned after the drug trade charges against self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim were dismissed by a Justice panel of prosecutors.

Kho is also Aguirre and President Rodrigo Duterte’s fraternity brother from the San Beda University-based Lex Talionis.

The former DOJ undersecretary is now filling the post vacated by former Comelec Commissioner Sheriff Abas, who moved up as the poll body’s chairman. Abas replaced Andres Bautista who left his post amid allegation of ill-gotten wealth.

Kho, like Abas, will serve until February 2, 2022.

Meanwhile, Devesa is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sandiwa” class of 1985. Prior to his post, Devesa was the commander of military’s Headquarters and Headquarters Support Group (HHSG).

He also served as Brigade Commander of 503rd Infantry Brigade in 2015 and as Assistant Division Commander of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division in Gamu, Isabela.