A former Davao del Norte provincial election supervisor has been appointed as an ad interim commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), according to the poll body’s Education and Information Department.

She is lawyer Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio who has had extensive experience in lobbying for the construction of several Comelec buildings while serving in the field.

As one of the commissioners, Ferolino-Ampoloquio said that among her priority projects would be to oversee the construction of additional buildings for the Comelec and refining the poll body’s internal administration.
 
“I am as excited to join the ranks of the esteemed members of the Commission En Banc as I am to work on projects focused on fine-tuning internal management, and on maximizing and improving the resources of Comelec, particularly our human resources and materials,” Ferolino-Ampoloquio said in a statement.
  
She said the construction of the field office in Davao de Oro has been completed and is just awaiting turnover.
 
“In Davao del Norte, the construction of three office buildings will commence next year. Both the Island Garden City of Samal and Tagum City will finally have their own Office of the Election Officer (OEO) buildings, while the building of the PES is likewise, already slated for construction,” she said.
 
“It is my view that among the many benefits of having our own office buildings, especially the field offices, is having the capacity to conduct a more efficient voter registration process,”
 
“I am proud of how the Comelec has swiftly and successfully dealt with the unfortunate conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, among which is the strict implementation of new health and safety protocols,” she further said.
 
“For the benefit of the public whom we serve, I hope to help improve their experience of that crucial first step in exercising their right of suffrage, by providing more suitable and pleasant premises,” Ferolino-Ampoloquio added.
 
Last November 26, Malacañang announced that President Duterte had nominated Ferrolino-Ampoloquio as new Comelec commissioner to replace Al Parreño who retired in February.

Earlier this month, the Commission on Appointments (CA) deferred Ferolino-Ampoloquio appointment as Comelec commissioner until she could submit documents pertaining to questions about her husband’s assets.
 
It was Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon who moved her confirmation hearing to a later date so she could detail the assets of her husband who is reportedly earning from his family’s rice and corn mill business.
 
“The question that we raised is to test the validity of the SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth),” Drilon said during a CA hearing last Dec. 16.
 
But according to the poll body, an ad interim appointment is one made while Congress is in recess and takes effect immediately.
 
As an ad interim appointee, Ferolino-Ampoloquio has the authority to immediately enter upon the discharge of her office and will do so come January 2021, but her appointment still requires the confirmation of the CA as mandated by the Constitution.
 
According to the Comelec, Ferolino-Ampoloquio took her oath of office as Comelec commissioner last Dec. 23. Her term will expire on Feb. 2, 2027.


Source: Manila Bulletin (https://mb.com.ph/2020/12/25/davaoena-named-as-new-comelec-commissioner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=davaoena-named-as-new-comelec-commissioner)