FILE ON APRIL 20 OR WAIT ‘TIL NEXT BARANGAY ELECTIONS, SAYS COMELEC

Comelec says it has so far received 100,000 certificates of candidacy; COC filing to end at 5 p.m. April 20

There will be no extension for the filing of certificates of candidacy. SunStar photo by Allan Cuizon.

There will be no extension for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the village and youth council elections, the Commision on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday, April 18.

Comelec chairperson James Jimenez said the poll body has no plans of extending the one-week period for the filing of candidacies, which will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20.

“There will be no extension. It will end on Friday, April 20. We are not announcing, and I think, have no plans of any extension of filing (of COCs),” Jimenez told a forum held in Manila.

The election period for the synchronized village and youth council elections began on April 14. It was also the first day of the filing of COCs.

The poll body has so far received a total of more than 100,000 COCs, Jimenez said.

Jimenez, however, said the number of candidacies filed is merely a “small amount,” considering that there are 671,168 vacant positions for the village and youth council polls.

He said there are 41,948 chairmanships and 293,636 council posts available each for the twin elections.

Comelec is expecting a surge of local bets who will file their candidacies these coming days, the spokesman said.

When the filing of candidacies ends, Jimenez said the poll body would evaluate the COCs within two weeks.

“We have to finish it within two weeks because we have to release the official list of candidates,” he said.

Those who will be declared fit to run for the upcoming elections can start campaign on May 4 until May 12.

On Tuesday, April 17, Jimenez said the Comelec is on the lookout for possible “violence” and vote-buying” activities during the conduct of the village and youth council elections on May 14. /