Commission on Elections (Comelec) Negros Occidental provincial supervisor lawyer Ian Lee Ananoria said Wednesday, November 29, that they are now preparing for the coming 2025 midterm elections now that the election period for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls has already ended.
The election period in relation to the recent village and youth elections ended on Wednesday, November 29, which means all banned activities have already been lifted, including the gun ban and the ban on the implementation of government projects, he said.
"We will also start voter registration for the 2025 elections," he added.
Based on the latest data from the Comelec, only 23.48 percent of all BSKE candidates have submitted their Statement of Contribution and Expenditures (Soce), he said.
Those who failed to submit their Soce will face a penalty from the Comelec, he added.
"If it's their third offense, an administrative case will be filed against them," Ananoria stressed.
The submission of the Soce is a requirement prescribed by the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines to determine compliance with the expenditure limit of a candidate.
Comelec expects 71 million registered voters for the 2025 midterm elections, Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said.
As of now, Garcia said Comelec recorded around 68 million voters, but the poll body is expecting an increase of three million in the number.*