JAMES Jimenez, the former spokesperson of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and a UST alumnus, died on Wednesday, Jan. 28. He was 52.
The poll body announced his passing on Facebook, remembering Jimenez as a “public face and steady voice of the commission” who faithfully served the institution and the Filipino people.
“Comelec extends its deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones. We honor his legacy of public service and his enduring contribution to election transparency and voter education. His voice, professionalism, and quiet courage will be remembered,” the post read.
The University also extended its condolences to Jimenez’s family through a Facebook post.
“[Jimenez] made it a point to go home to his alma mater and help form the next generations of student leaders, championing democratic principles and educating the student body on our electoral system. We are one with his loved ones in this difficult time,” the University’s post read.
Jimenez was the longest-serving and youngest spokesperson in government at the time of his appointment, serving at the Comelec from July 2006 to September 2022.
READ: James Jimenez: From UST to Comelec
He first joined the Comelec as consultant before briefly resigning and later returning as a director in 2004. Jimenez headed the education and information department, where he led initiatives to strengthen the commission’s online presence.
Jimenez obtained his bachelor’s degree from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences and finished his law degree in UST in 2000. He became executive assistant at the Supreme Court in 1999.
During his student years, Jimenez served as chairman of the UST Central Comelec for a year before running for president of the Faculty of Civil Law Student Council in 1998.
He was the editor in chief of the UST Law Review, the student-edited law journal.
Jimenez was also an accomplished debater and leader, earning several awards from the University such as the Benavides Award for Outstanding Achievement, the Quezon Leadership Award, and the Pope Leo XIII Communitarian Award.
