Filing of COCs starts

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start accepting at 8 a.m. today, Monday, the certificates of candidacy (COC) of those who will run in next year's elections. The filing of COCs ends on October 5, Friday.

Lawyer Marlon Casquejo, Comelec-Davao assistant regional director, has appealed to election aspirants to file their COCs on the prescribed period and during office hours, meaning from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Comelec will not accept COCs filed during midnight on the last day of filing, which is usually done by poll candidates.

He said there will be screening committees, which have been set up for each district, to review the requirements presented by poll aspirants.

Poll candidates will vie for 29 elective posts in the city - the mayoralty and vice mayoralty posts; three seats, each to represent the city's three congressional districts, in the House of Representatives; and 24 seats, eight for each of the three districts, in the Provincial Board.

Expected candidates

Set to file his COC today is Davao City 1st District Representative and House Assistant Majority Leader Karlo Alexei Nograles, who is seeking re-election.

"He will file his COC at exactly 8 a.m. today. He will do it alone. No slate to speak of," a source close to the congressman said.

The dominant local political party, the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, led by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and her father Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, is set to field a complete slate for next year's elections.

During the party's convention at SMX Convention Center at the newly-opened SM Lanang Premier, it was decided that the party will file the COCs in the afternoon of October 5.

The party unanimously picked Vice Mayor Duterte's son, Councilor Paolo Duterte, president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), as Hugpong's vice mayoralty bet.

But the party left the mayoralty post and 1st District congressional seat open as it is still waiting for the decision of the two other Dutertes -- Mayor Sara and VM Rodrigo.

Either is seen as Representative Nograles' closest rival in next year's elections.

In the 2nd District, Hugpong will field incumbent Representative Mylene Garcia, while another incumbent Representative Isdro Ungab will remain as Hugpong bet in the Third District.

Earlier, Mayor Sara said she wanted only eight aspiring councilors to be included on the official ticket of the party to ensure “winnability” of each candidate.

But the elder Duterte said he cannot grant his daughter's suggestion since there are more than eight aspiring councilors per district who have signified their interest to join the party.

This prompted the party to field more than eight provincial council bets, with 10, 12 and 12 candidates, for the first, second, and third district, respectively.

In the First District, Hugpong will field Nilo Abellera, Edgar Ibuyan, Leah Librado-Yap, Melchor Quitain, Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta, Emmanuel Galicia, Leo Avila, Jesse Mar Colaste, Bonifacio Militar and Oca Casaysay.

Second District: Al Ryan Alejandre, Louie John Bonguyan, April Marie Dayap, Tomas Monteverde, Jimmy Dureza, Arnold Apostol, Danny Dayanghirang, Julie Cabling, Diosdado Mahipus, Gerald Bangoy, Marissa Salvador-Abella, and Ritchel Patiganso.

Third District: Victorio Advincula, Bernard Al-ag, Karlo Bello, Rachel Zozobrado, Joselle Villafuerte, Gerardo Braganza, Atty. Petite Prinsipe, and two more unconfirmed names.

Lawyer John Paul Cubero, district 2 election officer of Comelec 11, in a text message on Sunday, said they sent out notices and sample forms to political parties two weeks ago to guide them with the COC filing.

He said Casquejo had oriented all election officers and staff of each district on the filing process about a week ago.

"Our logbook and computer program to be used in the filing are already in place," he said.

Meanwhile, Casquejo also encourages Dabawenyos, who are 18 years old and above, to register and practice their right to vote for the election next year.

Voters' registration, he said, is temporarily suspended to give way for the filing of COCs, but will resume on October 8 until October 31 this month.

No worries yet

Meanwhile, Davao City Police Office director Ronald dela Rosa said they have already laid out their security plans for the election season but they are confident that the filing of COCs will be generally peaceful in the city.

“Filing pa man na, so far wala mi nakita nga problema (that’s just the filing, we are not anticipating any problems at this time),” dela Rosa said.

He said they will be deploying a team to secure the venue where the candidates running in the 2013 elections will file their COCs from October 1, today, to October 5.

Dela Rosa also said they are still waiting for the guidelines from the national headquarters in going after private armed groups of the politicians running in the 2013 polls.

The Commission on Elections is scheduled to accept COCs for the May 2013 elections starting today until Friday. (With Antonio L. Colina IV and Arianne N. Casas)