Comelec sets fines for violations in SOCE filing
The Commission on Elections ( Comelec) has set administrative fines of up to P60,000 for candidates who will fail to file their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
Based on Resolution No. 9939 promulgated on April 6, candidates for president, vice president, senators, congressmen, party-list representatives and national political parties will be fined P30,000 for failure to submit their SOCEs for the first time. A penalty of P60,000 will be imposed for the second offense.
The administrative fines cover the 2013 polls and subsequent elections thereafter.
The new Comelec resolution amended Resolution No. 9476 promulgated on June 22, 2012, which did not include penalties for provincial political parties and candidates in the elections for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Under the law, winning and losing candidates are required to file their SOCEs one month after the holding of the election.
The poll body said that candidates for ARMM governor and vice governor will be fined P27,500 for the first offense and P55,000 for the second offense.
Members of the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly, regional political parties, provincial governors and provincial vice governors are fined P25,000 for the first offense and P50,000 for the second offense.
A penalty of P22,500 (first offense) and P45,000 ( second offense) will be imposed on provincial political parties.
Provincial board members, local political parties, city mayors and city vice mayors will be fined P20,000 for the first offense and P40,000 for the second offense.
Municipal mayors, municipal vice mayors and municipal councilors are fined P10,000 for the first offense and P20,000 for the second offense. City councilors face a fine of P15,000 for the first offense and P30,000 for the second offense.
Meanwhile, Malacanang clarified that lawyer Firdausi Abbas is not among those being considered for the top Comelec post.
“The appointments to the poll body will be announced by the Office of the President in due time,” Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said.
President Aquino is reportedly eyeing retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna to become the next Comelec chairman. Azcuna reportedly has the backing of the President’s four sisters.
Cadiz City Mayor Rowena Guanzon, said to be the frontrunner for the chairmanship, is reportedly being considered as Comelec commissioner along with Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Winston Ginez.