MANILA - Four poll officers tagged in the 2005 "Hello, Garci" wiretapping scandal continue to hold on to key positions despite a temporary reshuffle of key election officers for the duration of the 120-day election period from January 13 to June 12, 2013.

These are Commission on Elections (Comelec) Directors Teopisto Elnas Jr, Rey Sumalipao, Renato Magbutay, and Renault Macarambon.

Elnas, currently Director IV and chief of the election and barangay affairs department, is now acting deputy executive director for operations replacing Bartolome Sinocruz, who is now acting executive director.

Sinocruz takes over from Comelec Executive Director Jose Tolentino, who was reassigned to the project management office in charge of procurement and management of the automated election system that will be used in the elections.

Tolentino was previously charged and placed under preventive suspension along with many others after One Time Carbon (OTC) Paper Supply Inc. was awarded the P690-million ballot secrecy folder procurement project for the 2010 elections. There, 1.8 million ballot secrecy folders were procured for P380 each.

Helen Aguila Flores, deputy executive director for administration and current special bids and awards committee chairwoman, was laterally reassigned to personnel.

Magbutay was reassigned as regional director for Region 6 from his current post in Region 10.

Macarambon has been moved as assistant regional director from the ARMM to Caraga.

Sumalipao was retained as regional election director for the ARMM.