Comelec to election winners: File spending report or lose seat

ALL candidates are reminded to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (Soce) within 30 days after the recently concluded national and local elections.

This was what lawyer Jerome Brillantes, elections supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu Provincial Office, said on Wednesday, May 11, two days after the elections.

Under Section 14 of Republic Act 7166, every candidate and treasurer of the political party should file in duplicate with the offices of the Commission the full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures within 30 days after the elections.

“No person elected to any public office shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed the statement of contributions and expenditures herein required,” it said, adding that the same prohibition applies if the political party which nominated the winning candidate fails to file the Soce within the period.

Brillantes reminded candidates about the Supreme Court ruling that they will be liable to pay twice for administrative offense for failure to submit their Soce apart from it being a ground for disqualification.

“Hopefully, you will file your Soce on time or as soon as possible,” he said.