By Leslie Ann Aquino Newly appointed Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Marlon Casquejo will be the head of the Steering Committee for the 2019 national and local elections. (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) COMELEC Chairman Sheriff Abas announced the designation of Casquejo as steering committee head Wednesday during the oath-taking of the latter at the Palacio Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila. "I offered him the steering committee head and I already relayed it to the en banc...he didn't complain. He said: okay," Abas said in his speech welcoming Casquejo. "Thank you Comm. we welcome you here," added Abas. In an interview, Casquejo said he was surprised by his designation. “I learned about it only now. So when you say a steering committee, you will be heading the running of the elections. That's not new to us in the field office because I have been doing this for many elections. Twice manual elections and twice also in automated elections. So I will just give my inputs. And the preparations with regard to the automation this coming 2019 elections," he said. Casquejo meantime viewed his appointment as poll commissioner as a "rare privilege." "I think what is really for us will be given to us. As they say, destiny brings me here. As such, I consider this a rare privilege given by God for me to share what I'm capable of not just in Region 11, but in the entire nation," he said. "God has been so good to me and that's the time for me to bring it back, to pay back the commission," added Casquejo. Malacañang issued the ad interim appointment of Casquejo as COMELEC Commissioner last week replacing retired commissioner Christian Robert Lim. Abas will serve the term expiring on February 2, 2025. Before his appointment, Casquejo was serving as the Assistant Regional Election Director (ARED) of Davao Region.