President Aquino yesterday appointed young poll lawyer Christian Robert S. Lim as commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and state auditor Rasol L. Mitmug as commissioner of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) both with a seven-year term.

Lim will assume the vacated post of retired Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal for a term until February 2, 2018, according to Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte.

Lim, a managing partner at the Lim & Leynes Law Offices, was part of the election watchdog that supported the candidacy of President Aquino and his running mate Mar Roxas in the last May elections.

Valte, in a news conference at the Palace, said Mitmug, a regional director of the Commission on Audit, will replace Cesar Buenaflor at the central personnel agency of the government. Mitmug, who hails from Lanao del Sur, will have a term until February 2, 2018 as CSC commissioner.

The two ad interim appointments were announced by the Palace while Congress is on recess. Valte said they are confident the two new public officials will perform their duties well, citing their track record.

Lim, a 37-year-old law graduate from Ateneo de Manila University, was also part of the legal group that campaign for the congressional bid of Vivienne Tan last elections. He was a private prosecutor in the Kuratong Baleleng murder case against Senator Lacson and plunder case of then President Joseph Estrada.

Mitmug, who earned an accounting degree at the Philippine School of Business Administration, has been working at the COA since 1976. Mitmug, 61, previously worked as accountant at the Department of Public Works and Highways-Tawi-Tawi.

Early in the day, the President administered the oath of office to dozens of new public officials, including Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. and acting Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr.

Oban, former Air Force commander, replaced David at the helm of the AFP last month. He will serve a military chief for nine months before his retirement on December 13.

David, who retired from the military service, was named acting head of the Bureau of Immigration following a diplomatic spat with Taiwan over the deportation of its nationals to China. David, a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1977,

Also sworn into office were Erwin Chua Andaya, Commissioner, representing Visayas, of the National Youth Commission (NYC), Office of the President (OP); Georgina P. Nava, Commissioner, representing Luzon, NYC-OP; Earl P. Saavedra, Commissioner, representing Mindanao, NYC-OP; Percival V. Cendaña, Commissioner-at-Large, NYC-OP; Nora C. Oliveros, Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration, OP.

Fernando L. Mesa, Assistant Director-General, National Security Council Seretariat,OP; Ofelia Arellano-Marquez, Chairperson, Central Board of Assessment Appeals of the Department of Finance; Alfredo Tolentino Assistant Secretary, Department of Public Works and Highways; Ester A. Aldana, Assistant Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Government and Nelson Acebo, Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

Other newly promoted military officials are Vice-Admiral Alexander P. Pama, Flag Officer In Command of the Philippine Navy (PN); Lt. Gen. Arthur I. Tabaquero, Commander, EastMinCom; Rear Admiral Orwen J. Cortez, VC, Philippine Navy; MGen. Ramiro A. Alivio, The Navy Inspector General, PN; MGen. Elmir S. Dela Cruz, Deputy Chief of Staff for AFP-Comunications, Electronics and Information Systems (CEIS) J6; MGen. Romulo M. Bambao, C, Isafp; MGen. Nonato Alfredo T. Peralta Jr., Supt., Philippine Military Academy (PMA); Rear Admiral Edgar L. Abogado, Chief of Naval Staff, PN; BGen. Mariano A. Veloria, Comdr, 53rd Engineering Brigade, Philippine Army (PA);  BGen. Samuel L. Narbuada, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence; BGen. Alex N. Albano, Comdr, Army Reserve Command, PA; BGen. Arnolfo Atendido, Assistant Division Commander, 7ID, PA.