No more midnight filing of COCs: Comelec

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) under its resolution will be strictly following the guidelines of the filing of the certificate of candidacy starting Monday.

Comelec resolution 9518 stated that the filing of COCs will only be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Based on the resolution, candidates who are already inside Comelec’s office at 4:45 p.m. on October 5 to file their COCs, “the Receiving Officer shall prepare a complete list containing the names of said persons, consecutively numbered, and the time of listing.”

“The persons listed shall be called by announcing each name in the order in which they are listed. Any person who is not present when his name is called shall not be allowed to file his Certificate of Candidacy. A Certificate of Candidacy filed in accordance with this procedure shall be stamped received at the time it was actually filed, and deemed filed on time,” it stated.

Lawyer Aleli Ramirez, City election officer, in an earlier interview said they will only be entertaining candidates during the time prescribed by the resolution.

Ramirez also said they had already requested police assistance during the entirety of the filing of COCs as their office is only anticipating the parade of crowd in escorting their candidates as a show of support.

The filing will be closed by 5:00 in the afternoon of October 5.

Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. in a report said there will be no more 12-midnight filing like in the previous elections.

"The filing of COCs will only be from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m,” Brillantes said.

Under the resolution, candidates should only file their COCs at the Comelec Office.

“The certificate of candidacy shall be filed by the candidate personally or by his duly authorized representative, whose authority shall be in writing, under oath and attached thereto. No certificate of candidacy shall be filed or accepted by mail, electronic mail, telegram or facsimile,” it stated.

Brillantes added that when a candidate fails to file his CONA together with his COC, he shall automatically be deemed an independent candidate.

Also included in the new COC form is the strict requirement for candidates to file their “full, true and itemized” Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) in connection with the election.

Under the new COC, “candidates are required to declare under oath that they will file, with the Comelec, their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) within 30 days after the election.”
“This added safeguard will help in leveling the playing field by promoting transparency in their election spending,” said Comelec spokesperson Atty. James Jimenez.

An additional box requiring the inclusion of “Name/Words to appear on the ballot not to exceed 30 characters” can also be found in the new COC.