THE Commission on Elections-Davao Region (Comelec-Davao) has reiterated that certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections must be notarized outside the regional electoral office to prevent irregularities and potential nullification.
In a press briefing on September 11, 2024, Comelec-Davao regional director, Lawyer Gay Enumerables, emphasized that candidates should ensure their COCs are properly filled out and notarized by a public notary outside the office.
“Of course, when they go to the office to file their COC, dapat properly filled out and notarized (The notary public should be external, as we are not authorized to administer oaths),” the official said.
Enumerables also highlighted new requirements for COCs, stressing that candidates must be aware of these changes.
The Comelec central office confirmed that COC filing will proceed as scheduled from October 1 to October 8, despite Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.'s proposal to delay it until December.
Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia opposed the delay, citing potential disruptions to election preparations and the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
"Delaying the filing of Certificates of Candidacy will have far-reaching implications. Maraming matatamaan, printing the ballots, extending the filing of pre-election cases and their resolutions (Postponing the COC filing could impact ballot printing and pre-election case resolutions),” Garcia stated.
He also questioned the need to delay the COC filing deadline, stating, “Kung talagang tatakbo kayo, bakit ipagpapaliban pa ng dalawang buwan? Kung tatakbo, tatakbo. Kung hindi, hindi (If you really want to run, why postpone it for two months? Just run if you want to. If not, then don’t run)."
The electoral agency plans to print ballots by the second week of December. This timeline is due to the decision to prohibit candidate substitutions after the COC filing period.
The National Printing Office will produce 73 million ballots for the 2025 elections, with the Comelec overseeing the process. The ballots will use 95 GSM paper, thinner than the 160 GSM used in previous elections. DEF