PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has reappointed Sheriff Abas as chairperson of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after he failed to get the nod of the Commission on Appointments.
Duterte re-appointed Abas on Tuesday, January 16, according to the appointment papers released by Malacañang on Wednesday, January 17.
Abas was first picked by Duterte as Comelec chair on November 22, 2017, but his nomination was bypassed by the CA.
Abas' appointment papers showed that he will serve as head of the poll body until February 2, 2022.
He replaced former Comelec chairman Andres Bautista, who resigned from his post in October 2017 following allegations by his estranged wife that he had amassed ill-gotten wealth.
Abas, a nephew of Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagber Iqbal, was appointed to the Comelec by former president Benigno Aquino III in April 2015.
Prior to his new stint, Abas was an acting assistant regional director of the Civil Service Commission in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and a Comelec commissioner. (Ruth Abbey Gita/VoxPop Philippines)