THE period for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the May 2025 midterm elections will be from October 1 to 8, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced yesterday.
In a televised public briefing, Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said: “The filing of COCs from senator to local officials, as well as the Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONAs) for party-list nominees will be held from October 1 to 8.”
In a separate interview, Elections chairman George Garcia said the poll body is finalizing the Calendar of Activities for the May 2025 polls.
“We are just finalizing the dates and periods in the resolution. Hopefully, by next week, we can already come out with it,” said Garcia.
Garcia said the Comelec en banc has also decided that the filing of COCs for candidates who will substitute those who would withdraw their candidacy will only be from October 1 to 8.
According to the poll chief, the en banc approved his proposal to limit the period for substitute bets to file their COCs.
“It was a unanimous decision by the Commission en banc to our proposal to prohibit substitution after the last day of filing of COCs, which is October 8, if it is on the ground of withdrawal of candidacy,” said Garcia.
“Substitution (due to withdrawal) is supposed to be allowed until November 15. Now, there is no November 15 deadline to speak of,” he said.
He said the decision to ban substitution due to withdrawal after the last day of COC filing is anchored on the Comelec’s desire for candidates to immediately declare their intent to run for public office.
“To the candidates, lay your cards on the table, declare it, face it immediately. Don’t rely on substitutions,” he added.
Garcia said substitution of candidates will still be permitted beyond October 8 if it is on the ground of either death or disqualification of candidates.
DQ CASES
Aside from eliminating late substitution of candidates, the Comelec is also eyeing an early deadline for the filing of disqualification cases.
Laudiangco said the Commission is looking at the early release of the certified list of candidates in the Comelec website as well as in local poll offices.
“We want the public to immediately know who are these people who filed their COCs and those who will look to file petitions for cancellation of COCs, nuisance, or disqualification may do so immediately,” he said.
“The earlier these (petitions for cancellation, nuisance and disqualification) are filed, the earlier they will be heard, tried, and resolved. By the time we will be printing the ballots, we have already removed the nuisance candidates, those that should be disqualified, and those whose COCs must be canceled,” added Laudiangco.
ELECTION OFFENSE
In a related development, Laudiangco said Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is likely to face election offense charges if it is proven that she made misdeclarations in her COC when she ran in the May 2022 polls.
Laudiangco said poll offense charges may be filed due to material misrepresentation in the COC.
“If there is material misrepresentation in her COC, an election offense case can be filed before the Comelec or in a regular court,” he said, pointing out that COCs are filed under oath during the filing period prior to the electoral exercise.
The COC declares that the person filing it is announcing his or her candidacy for the office stated and that he or she is eligible for said office.
Guo’s citizenship, residency, and other qualifications to run for public office are now being put into question after she was linked to the presence of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Bamban.
Laudiangco said the Commission has yet to receive any petition against Guo in relation to the recent developments.
He said that if a petition is filed, the Comelec will immediately hear it.
“If there is any verified complaint filed, the Comelec guarantees that it will be immediately processed and preliminary investigation will commence,” he said.
