Al Parreño named Comelec acting chair

Commissioner Al A. Parreño has been named the acting chairperson of the Commission on Elections upon the retirement of the poll body's outgoing leader.

He will take the place of incumbent Comelec acting chief Christian Robert Lim, who will retire on Friday, Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said on Thursday.

.@COMELEC Commissioner Al A. Parreño has been chosen by the Commission en banc to be the next Acting Chair, upon the retirement tomorrow, Feb 2, of incumbent Acting Chair Christian Robert Lim.

— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) February 1, 2018

Comelec Director Teopisto Elnas Jr., meanwhile, has been designated as head of the poll body's Project Management Office, said Lim at a meeting of the joint congressional oversight committee on the Automated Election System.

Lim took over the helm of the poll body after its former chief, Andres Bautista, resigned in October 2017, amid accusations of amassing ill-gotten wealth which he had repeatedly denied.

The Comelec en banc has approved the purchase of P2.12 billion worth of vote-counting machines that were used in 2016. Lim said he signed the contract on January 12. — MDM, GMA News