ILOILO City – Win or lose, candidates in the recent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections must submit their Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) on or before the Nov. 29 deadline.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 6 director, Atty. Dennis Ausan, emphasized the importance of timely submission, especially for winning candidates.
“Winning candidates cannot take office if they haven’t filed their SOCE,” said Ausan in an interview with Panay News.
The SOCE requires candidates to disclose and itemize their expenditures during the campaign period from Oct. 19 to 28.
Winning candidates must secure the SOCE form from the Comelec website (https://comelec.gov.ph/), complete it, and submit it to the relevant election offices to receive a certification as proof.
According to Republic Act (RA) 7166, or the Synchronized National and Local Elections and Electoral Reforms Act, elected officials cannot assume office without filing their respective SOCE.
In addition to the SOCE, candidates must also be proclaimed and have taken an oath before taking their seats.
“I would suppose they are now preparing for those SOCEs since, as per Comelec’s advisory, they can assume post once they are proclaimed, have filed and submitted their SOCE, and have taken oath,” explained Ausan.
Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco outlined the requirements for winners to be seated: a proclamation by Comelec, an oath of office, and the assumption of office.
Ausan also stressed that losing candidates must submit the SOCE to ensure compliance with allowable expenses. Under Comelec rules, candidates were allowed to spend P5 per registered voter.
In cases where candidates exceed allowable expenses, the SOCE forms will be reviewed by the Comelec’s finance department. If violations are found, the law department may file for disqualification or imprisonment.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has also urged winning candidates to submit their SOCE promptly. Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said, “Submit your SOCE to Comelec. That’s important. Don’t wait for the 30-day deadline.”
The DILG has eliminated the requirement for winning candidates to submit to the agency a certification as proof of SOCE submission to Comelec, deeming it duplicative.
However, Abalos reminded winning candidates to ensure accurate inventory reports of barangay assets and properties.
“I-check n’yo rin nang maigi kung ilang computer ang iniwan, ilang sasakyan. Napaka-importante nito kasi mamaya may nawawala, sa inyo pa maibintang (You should also check how many computers or vehicles are left. This is very important because you could be held liable for lost items),” Abalos said.
In Western Visayas, there were 148,005 candidates, with the following breakdown:
* Aklan – 11,613
* Antique – 20,789
* Capiz – 16,957
* Guimaras – 3,601
* Iloilo – 65,405
* Negros Occidental – 29,640 (With a report from Philippine News Agency)/PN
