The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it rescheduled the period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said during a press conference that from July 3 to 7, the new filing date is now from August 28 to September 2.
“Minarapat po natin ito na gawing August 28 to September 2 dahil maraming panawagan,” Garcia said.
“Kaya naman talaga pinaaga ‘yong filing ng candidacy namin upang masigurado na lahat ng kaso ng disqualification at lalo na ang kaso nuisance candidates ay ma-resolve ng komisyon bago mag-eleksyon ng October,” he added.
Garcia said the Comelec could still resolve disqualification and nuisance candidate complaints with the new COC filing period.
He added that it is also beneficial to reschedule the COC filing dates near the voting period to avoid incidents of election-related violence.
The election chief said the poll body is still preparing for automated elections in 2025, with policy directions to be coordinated in the coming days.
— Ronald Espartinez