SEVENTY-TWO candidates, both winners and non-winners, have filed their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (Soce) as the deadline lapsed Wednesday.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said of the 99 individuals who filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for local position in the May 9 elections, only 27 candidates failed to submit their Soces.
Those who filed their COCs are as follows: first district representative, seven; second district representative, four; mayor, six; vice mayor, six; first district councillors, 38; and, second district councilors, 38.
The Comelec has yet to release the names of the winning and non-winning candidates who submitted their Soces on or before the deadline.
The Soce indicates the contributors of the candidates and how much they spend during the election.
Comelec regional information officer Stephen Roy Cañete said that penalties and fines will be slapped against candidates who failed to file their Soces.
Cañete said winning candidates who failed to submit their Soce will not be allowed to assume office on June 30 since they will not be issued clearance by the agency.
The Comelec and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) have entered into a memorandum of agreement for the strict requirement of Soce and the issuance of clearance before they assume office.
First offenders will be slapped with administrative fine depending on the position they ran while second offenders will be permanently disqualified to run in future elections, according to Cañete.
He said they will ask the guidance of Comelec central office to determine whether they can still accept late submission of Soce.
He said the DILG will have jurisdiction over winning candidates who submitted their Soces after the deadline.