Simultaneous retirement of Commissioners Guia, Parreño won’t hamper Comelec work — Jimenez

The looming retirement of Commissioners Luie Guia and Al Parreño from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) won’t delay work in the poll body, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Friday.

Both Guia and Parreño, appointees of former President Benigno Aquino III, are  scheduled to retire on February 2.

“It (their retirement) does not really affect the work that is being done here. We have a full complement of commissioners now,” Jimenez said.

“It looks like it is going to be non-issue. There is no upcoming election so that (retirement) should not be a problem,” Jimenez added.

There was supposed to be a barangay and youth elections elections this year, but this was postponed by Congress to December 2022 to give village and youth council officials more time to implement their projects.

The Duterte administration already postponed the barangay and SK polls twice, in 2016 and 2018, aimed at ridding barangays of officials linked to the illegal drug trade.

Aquino appointees

With their retirement, the only Comelec Commissioner appointed by former President Aquino who will remain in her post is the fiery Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.

Guanzon is set to retire on February 2022, ahead of the 2022 presidential elections.

The rest of the Comelec Commissioners who are appointees of President Rodrigo Duterte include: Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas, Commissioner Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo and Antonio Kho Jr. — RSJ, GMA News