Nelson Celis reappointed as commissioner; Comelec en banc now complete

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed constitutionalist and law professor Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. to the Commission on Elections, it said Thursday.

The poll body confirmed it received the appointment papers of Maceda, who would serve as commissioner until Feb. 2, 2029 and fill the position left by Comelec chairman George Garcia.

"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," Maceda said 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.

Prior to his appointment, Maceda was a lecturer at the Ateneo Law School and was a Master of Laws thesis professor at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) Graduate School of Law. He also served as president and chairman of the Board of the Philippine Association of Law Schools.

The Comelec on Thursday also confirmed the reappointment of Commissioner Nelson Celis, who replaced Aimee Torrefranca-Neri.

Celis was among 15 appointees of the President who were recently bypassed by the Commission on Appointments due to lack of time before Congress adjourned its session.

• 'Bypassed': Tulfo, Calida, 13 others fail to get CA nod before Congress break

The poll body welcomed Celis' reappointment, saying his expertise in information technology "will immensely benefit the Comelec and further enhance the automation of the electoral processes."

• Marcos appoints IT expert Nelson Celis as Comelec commissioner
• George Garcia gets CA nod to sit as Comelec chairman

The new appointments complete the 7-member Comelec en banc.

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