BAGUIO CITY – The local office of the Commission on Election (Comelec) announced the rules governing all those individuals interested in filing their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for elected positions in the May 2019 mid-term elections.
City Election Officer Atty. John Paul Martin claimed that while the filings of COCs has been scheduled for October 11-17, 2018, Comelec offices will only entertain individuals who will file their COCs on week days, particularly on from 8am to 5pm only.
“We appeal to our prospective candidates for the different elected positions to file their COCs as early as possible so that we can make the necessary review of such COCs and for the candidates to be able to correct whatever corrections are needed,” Martin stressed.
Under the rules on the filing of COCs, all copies of the COC shall be duly notarized by a lawyer with his or her signature and official seal, and the aspirant’s signature and thumb print are affixed on the same.
Further, Martin added that passport-size photographs of the aspirant must be attached on every page of the 5-page COC wherein the photo must have been taken at least six months prior to the prescribed filing period.
He claimed that a P30 documentary stamp should be affixed on the first copy of which the tax number shall be written on the indicated space in the succeeding copies of the COC.
The Comelec official underscored that certificates of nomination and acceptance (CONA) for aspirants belonging to political parties shall be filed simultaneously with the COCs also in 7 copies originally accomplished and duly signed by both the authorized person to nominate and the nominee.
According to him, the name of the candidate to appear in the official ballot must not exceed 30- characters, including nick name, among other desired names of the aspirant.
Martin emphasized that an incomplete COC shall not be accepted and shall not be stamped received on the time it is filed but the same will be returned to aspirant for possible completion before submitting the same to be received by the poll body.
He stipulated that those who filed their COCs are also obliged to file with the concerned Comelec offices within 3 days after Election Day, their full, true and itemized state of contributions and expenditures in connection with the May 2019 mid-term election.
Earlier, the Comelec en banc ruled that the deadline for the submission of the required statements of contributions and expenditures of the candidates will be fixed on June 12, 2019.
Martin asserted the failure of candidates to file their statements of contributions and expenditures will result to the possible imposition of hefty fines against them aside from their inability to occupy their elected office if they win the elections, thus, the need for them to adhere to simple election rules and regulations because their failure to do so might result to their being deprived of their elected post.
He urged aspirants of the different elected positions in the local level to secure their COCs with the local election office considering that what is available online is the front page of the COC which is incomplete, thus, to prevent inconvenience, it is best for the COC to be secured in complete form.
By Dexter A. See
