CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said the proclamation of winning Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) candidates with pending disqualification case will be suspended.
On Tuesday, the poll body approved Memorandum 231111, which states that "the Commission resolved to approve the suspension of proclamation of named respondents with pending petitions to deny due course or to cancel certificate of candidacy; to declare a nuisance candidate; and for disqualification until further orders from the Commission."
The Comelec also referred to Section 600 of its Resolution 10924, which states that the Comelec en banc has the authority to suspend the proclamation of a winning candidate if an unresolved petition has strong evidence.
In case a winning barangay or SK chairperson has a pending disqualification case, the winning barangay kagawad or SK member with the highest number of votes will assume the post in an "acting capacity."
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said that this may be done considering that the official assumption of elective posts will be on December 1, 2023.
This will give the poll body an entire month to resolve the suspension orders and resolutions.
As of Monday, October 23, the Comelec has filed a total of 181 disqualification petitions against candidates for premature campaigning and issued 7,103 show cause orders across the country for the alleged early campaigning following complaints from the public.
Of the 7,103 show cause orders issued, 4,038 answers from candidates were received while 868 complaints were dropped due to lack of factual basis.
Illegal campaigning includes violation of the standard size of posters, tarpaulins, and other campaign paraphernalia set at two by three feet, and the posting of materials in illegal spaces not included in common poster areas like trees, electric wires, and electric posts, among others.