Commissioner Socorro Inting will be the acting chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) starting Feb. 3.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said this is while waiting for President Duterte to appoint the new head of the poll body.
"Commissioner Socorro Inting, most senior Comm on Feb 3, will be Acting Chair @Comelec while PRRD has not appointed a Chair," she said on Twitter, Monday, Jan. 24.
Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas, Commissioners Guanzon and Antonio Kho are all set to retire on Feb. 2, 2022.
When they retire, the En Banc will be left with Commissioners Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino, and Rey Bulay.
Last year, the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said whoever will replace the retiring chairman and two poll commissioners must be independent.
"It is very important that whoever will replace will satisfy this criteria of independence," Namfrel Secretary General Eric Alvia said in an online press briefing.
"The primary concern is compentence and integrity of the commissioners, especially now that we approach this very important elections. People will look at the independence of the commission as a gauge how the elections will be conducted," he added.