The government of President Rodrigo Duterte announced on 8 March the appointment of Saidamen Pangarungan as the new Chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), replacing Sheriff Abas who retired on 2 February. Duterte also appointed two new COMELEC Commissioners, George Erwin Garcia and Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, replacing former Commissioners Antonio Kho and Rowena Guanzon who also retired on 2 February. With the new appointments, the election body is now composed entirely of Duterte appointees.

Prior to being named COMELEC Chairman, Pangarungan was appointed by Duterte as Chairman of the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos in July 2018. He’s an alumnus of San Beda College of Law, Duterte’s alma mater. He had also served as legal counsel for the Bank of America, Caltex, San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Airlines and Philippine Long Distance and Telephone company.

Meanwhile, new COMELEC Commissioner Garcia served as the lead counsel for Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in the latter’s protest contesting the election of Vice President Leni Gerona Robredo in 2016. Commissioner Torrefranca-Neri is closely associated with Duterte and Duterte’s longtime personal aide Sen. Bong Go. She served in the Davao City Mayor’s office and appointed to high positions by Duterte in the Department of Justice, Bureau of Immigration and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Commissioners Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio and Rey Bulay, complete the seven-member Commission on Elections, in charge of ensuring clean and honest elections on 9 May. Inting, Casquejo and Ferolino-Ampoloquio all come from Davao City or had stints in Davao City, where Duterte and his family have reigned since 1988. Bulay, meanwhile, is a Lex Talionis fraternity brother of Duterte from the San Beda College of Law.