2 Comelec commissioners retire
(UPDATE) TWO Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners are retiring today, Feb. 3, after serving out their seven-year term. Despite the retirement of Commissioners Socorro Inting and Senior Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, the Comelec en banc still has more than enough members to decide on pending election cases and other operational nuances that needed the commission's approval, Chairman George Erwin Garcia said over the weekend. "We have two retiring commissioners. We held already our farewell and retiring ceremonies. By Monday, we have only four commissioners and one chairman," said Garcia. Inting heads the Comelec's First Division and Casquejo, the Second Division, They were both appointed during the Duterte administration. Garcia appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to appoint soon the replacements of Inting and Casquejo, saying that a seven-member commission is better than one with only five members. "There is a majority in the two divisions. There would still be a presiding officer in every division. At the same time, we are still five in the en banc, though it is much better if we are complete," he said. Garcia said the President can make the appointments anytime without violating any election-related law. The Comelec chief said that he preferred that somebody from the commission be appointed because of his or her familiarity with the commission's processes, particularly during elections. "It would be appropriate to appoint somebody coming from the inside simply because they are knowledgeable already on what we are doing, knowledgeable also of the people performing their duties and functions and, at the same time, knowledgeable of the issues the commission is facing right now," Garcia said. An outsider would need "at least two years to familiarize with the operations of the commission," he said. Garcia also said appointments made after the adjournment of Congress would be ad interim. In 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed a new Comelec chairman and two commissioners. Former National Commission on Muslim Filipinos secretary Saidamen Pangarungan was named Comelec chairman, and Garcia and former Social Welfare undersecretary Aimee Neri as commissioners. The Commission on Appointments bypassed the interim appointment of Pangarungan, which led to the appointment of Garcia as chairman under the Marcos administration.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
(UPDATE) TWO Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners are retiring today, Feb. 3, after serving out their seven-year term.
Despite the retirement of Commissioners Socorro Inting and Senior Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, the Comelec en banc still has more than enough members to decide on pending election cases and other operational nuances that needed the commission's approval, Chairman George Erwin Garcia said over the weekend.
"We have two retiring commissioners. We held already our farewell and retiring ceremonies. By Monday, we have only four commissioners and one chairman," said Garcia.
Inting heads the Comelec's First Division and Casquejo, the Second Division,
They were both appointed during the Duterte administration.
Garcia appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to appoint soon the replacements of Inting and Casquejo, saying that a seven-member commission is better than one with only five members.
"There is a majority in the two divisions. There would still be a presiding officer in every division. At the same time, we are still five in the en banc, though it is much better if we are complete," he said.
Garcia said the President can make the appointments anytime without violating any election-related law.
The Comelec chief said that he preferred that somebody from the commission be appointed because of his or her familiarity with the commission's processes, particularly during elections.
"It would be appropriate to appoint somebody coming from the inside simply because they are knowledgeable already on what we are doing, knowledgeable also of the people performing their duties and functions and, at the same time, knowledgeable of the issues the commission is facing right now," Garcia said.
An outsider would need "at least two years to familiarize with the operations of the commission," he said.
Garcia also said appointments made after the adjournment of Congress would be ad interim.
In 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed a new Comelec chairman and two commissioners.
Former National Commission on Muslim Filipinos secretary Saidamen Pangarungan was named Comelec chairman, and Garcia and former Social Welfare undersecretary Aimee Neri as commissioners.
The Commission on Appointments bypassed the interim appointment of Pangarungan, which led to the appointment of Garcia as chairman under the Marcos administration.
