Filing of COCs for barangay, SK polls starts Sept. 23

MANILA -- Aspirants in the October 23, 2017 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections have seven days to file their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) starting September 23.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), in a statement Thursday, said candidates who would like to participate in the local polls have until September 30 to file their COCs at the Office of the Election officer in their respective areas.

In the October polls, one Punong Barangay (Barangay Chairman) and seven members of the Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council) will be elected by voters.

On the other hand, one chairperson and seven members of the SK will be selected.

The poll body said the qualifications for Punong Barangay and Members of the Sangguniang Barangay are as follows: -A Filipino citizen -A registered voter in the barangay where he intends to be elected;

-A resident therein for at least one year immediately preceding the day of the election;

-Able to read and write Filipino or any other local language or dialect; and -At least 18 years of age on election day. For the Sangguniang Kabataan, aspirants should be:-A citizen of the Philippines;

-A qualified voter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan (KK);

-A resident of the Barangay for not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the elect i ons;

-At least 18 years but not more than 24 years of age on the day of the elections;

-Able to read and write Filipino, English of the local dialect;

-Must not be related within the 2nd civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official in the locality where aspirant seeks to be elected; and

-Must not have been convicted by final judgment of any crime involving moral turpitude.

The campaign period for the barangay and youth polls will be from October 13 to October 21.

Prohibited acts during the election period include carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons; use of security personnel or body guards by candidates; transfer or detail of officers and employees in the civil service including public school teachers; suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer.

(PNA)