CHAIRMAN George Garcia is set to serve as head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Steering Committee for the 2025 national and local polls.
Speaking at the kick-off for the Random Manual Audit (RMA) of the automated Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023, Garcia said he has been designated as the new Steering Committee head for the 2025 polls.
"Yours truly has been designated as the new in-charge of the Steering Committee for the 2025 elections," he said.
Under the Poll Automation Law, the Steering Committee of the Comelec is tasked with the implementation of the automated election system in the identification and agreement of the project deliverables and timelines, and in the formulation of the acceptance criteria for each deliverable.
In May 2023, Commissioner Aimee Ferolino was announced as the Steering Committee head for the 2025 elections.
"Commissioner Ferolino gave way to the Chairman," said Garcia when asked for the reason behind the change.
And with him in charge, the poll chief said he wants to ensure transparency and inclusivity in the entire preparation process of the Comelec.
"I am expecting more participation from the citizen’s arm and other groups and the media in undertaking the process. We want no secrets. We want the process to be very open," said Garcia.
He said it will be unlike previous Comelec administrations, wherein the process was mostly concealed from the public eye.
"Let’s move forward. We will open the entire process to everyone. We will open it for suggestion," he said. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)
