Comelec finds 5 SK winners overaged

BACOLOD CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has found five winning Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) candidates in Bacolod City to be overaged when they ran for councilpersons in the May 14 elections.

The Comelec-Bacolod confirmed, as of Tuesday, the issuance of the orders to answer the petitions filed by the Comelec Law Department against Mark Joseph Mijares of Barangay Cabug, Noli Sanchez of Barangay Felisa, Hermilo Lizades of Barangay Pahanocoy, Joebel Peñas Jr. of Barangay Mandalagan, and Kim Maiko Lim of Barangay 37.

City Election Registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia said she initially sent a list of 14 candidates deemed as overaged, but two of them withdrew their certificates of candidacy (COCs), and only five of the 12 got elected.

“They are required by the Commission’s First Division or Second Division to file an answer to the case filed against them by Comelec Law Department,” she said.

“The five should file an answer to the order as part of due process … otherwise, if an order will be issued cancelling their COCs, they cannot assume office,” Majarucon-Sia said. “They cannot take this for granted.”

She said the petition was filed by Comelec Law Department on May 13 yet, but her office received the facts only on June 8. Four, except for Lizades, have already received a copy of the order as of June 12, she added.