PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has nominated engineer and broadsheet columnist Nelson Celis as commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said yesterday.
Celis’s appointment paper stated he will replace Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri and will serve until February 2, 2029.
Celis is an Information Technology expert practitioner and had served as consultant of then Elections commissioner Resurreccion Borra who oversaw the introduction of the automated elections system (AES) in 2010.
Prior to his appointment as Comelec commissioner, he was known as a staunch critic of the AES and was an advocate of the hybrid election system. He was among the leaders of the groups AES Watch, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), and the Philippine Computer Society.
He previously served as head of the Information Office of the Megalink and Philippine Veterans’ Bank and was the founding director of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines.
He currently writes a column for the Manila Times and is a lecturer at the De La Salle University.
Acting Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco welcomed the nomination of Celis as poll commissioner, saying his known expertise in information technology shall greatly benefit the poll body and its automated election system.
“The Commission on Elections congratulates Hon. Nelson Java Celis for his August 11, 2022 nomination as Comelec Commissioner,” said Laudiangco in a statement.
“The Comelec looks forward to working with Mr. Celis, who is a veteran Information Technology expert, practitioner, and academician,” he added.
Laudiangco said Celis will be a great addition to the poll body, particularly in the continued improvement of the AES.
“We hope for the confirmation of his nomination via regular appointment, so that the Commission en Banc, with him on board, can chart the future of automated elections in the Philippines,” he also said.
Celis is Marcos’ second appointee at the Comelec. The first was election lawyer George Garcia who was nominated as chairman.