“FILE your Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) early.”
This call was made by both Negros Occidental Acting Provincial Election Supervisor lawyer Ian Lee Ananoria and Bacolod City Election Officer lawyer Kathrina Trinio-Caňa as the filing of the COCs for the 2021 election starts Friday, October 1, 2021.
Ananoria and Caña, in a virtual press conference Thursday, said this will give the candidates ample time to accomplish documents that are lacking.
Among the documents needed are copies of duly notarized COCs with documentary stamps and passport size pictures and Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (Cona) issued by their political party, if they have any.
They called on those who will be filing their candidacies to observe health protocols, while their supporters are urged not to hold grand rallies nor converge.
Filing of COCs will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only, they said.
They added that the Comelec will put up a waiting area outside the Comelec so that they can control the number of candidates to be accommodated inside the office.
During the filing of the COCs, the city and the provincial Comelec will be catering two candidates with a companion each at a given time based on the guidelines set by the Comelec En Banc.
On his end, Ananoria said he will allow at least three candidates to file their COCs at a given time at the provincial Comelec office.
As to would-be candidates who still have pending petitions, Ananoria and Caňa said they will just wait for the resolutions and will act on them accordingly.
What is sure as of the moment, they said, is that they are prepared to accommodate those who will be filing their COCs on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Ananoria was re-assigned as the Comelec provincial supervisor of Negros Occidental effective yesterday replacing lawyer Ma. Fatima Aspan, who was reassigned in Victorias City.
Comelec-Western Visayas Assistant Director lawyer Tomas Valera clarified that the transfer of Aspan was done after the post of lawyer Jessie Suarez became vacant following his retirement.
Aspan also temporarily took over the position of Caňa, who had undergone 14-day isolation when she and her staff members were exposed to a coronavirus-positive colleague.
Caňa resumed her duties on Monday, September 27, in time for the opening of the voter registration at the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod.
Meanwhile, Comelec-Negros Occidental will temporarily hold office at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City from October 1 to 10 since their office is too small, Ananoria reiterated.
Candidates for provincial and district positions of both the United Negros Alliance (Unega) and Love Negros have earlier agreed to file their COCs in batches in compliance with health protocols.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier confirmed that he and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer along with incumbent members of the Provincial Board will file their COCs on the first day of filing.
The Bacolod City and Negros Occidental Provincial Police Offices will also be deploying their personnel in areas where the filing of COCs will be done to ensure safety and order. (With reports from Merlinda A. Pedrosa)