Newly-nominated Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Michael Peloton
MANILA – Newly-nominated Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Michael Peloton needs the approval of the Commission on Appointments (CA) before he can assume his post.
"As a regular appointee, he will assume office after he successfully hurdles the confirmation proceedings before the Commission on Appointments,” the poll body said in a statement Tuesday.
On Sept. 17, President Rodrigo Duterte named Peloton as the new Comelec commissioner, replacing Luie Tito Guia, who retired from the Comelec in February this year. Peloton’s nomination was announced on Sept. 21.
Once Peloton gets the nod of the CA, he will be serving a fresh seven-year term which will end on February 2, 2027.
The Commissioner-nominee, who is from Davao City, has served as a Board Member in the Board of Directors and Management of the Philippine Reclamation Authority in 2018.
He was a technical assistant in the Presidential Management Staff of the Office of the President in 2017.
“His vast experience in the field of law and information technology is seen to enable the Comelec to better respond to the challenges in preparing for an automated election amidst the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement read.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez earlier said the naming of the new poll body official was a regular appointment made while Congress is in session, which means that Peloton cannot assume office immediately.
“Contrast this with an ad interim appointment which is made while Congress is not in session. Such an appointee can immediately assume office, subject to subsequent confirmation by the CA,” he said. (PNA)
