ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has extended for a day the period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Today, all Comelec offices will still accept COCs – from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The last day of filing should have been yesterday.
The elections are on May 14.
According to Comelec regional director Dennis Ausan, today is the last chance of the late filers to submit their COCs as there would be no more additional extensions.
Some Comelec offices failed to accommodate COC filers who waited for the last day yesterday to beat the deadline.
“The one-day extension was decided by the Comelec en banc. This is nationwide,” said Ausan.
The Comelec en banc decided on the extension after the National Youth Commission aired its concern that the number of candidates won’t reach the 338,584 total of SK elective positions.
Ausan said the filing of COCs in Region 6 from April 14 to 20 had been smooth and orderly but he received reports that in Dueñas, Iloilo the local election office failed to accommodate late filers yesterday.
“Well, almost okay ang feedback sa field. Wala kita ‘ya problem,” said Ausan.
In Manila, Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon, a Negrense, said the en banc initially thought of extending the filing of COCs only for SK election candidates but decided to include the barangay poll candidates to avoid confusion.
“Baka ‘yung tatakbo sa barangay election makipag-away sa election officers kaya lahat na lang extended,” Guanzon said.
The last barangay elections were held in October 2013 while the last SK elections were held in October of 2010./PN
