BACOLOD City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in this capital city will no longer accept statements of contributions and expenditures (SOCEs) from late filers.
City Election Officer Mavil Sia said they are still awaiting instructions from the Comelec central office.
Sia said 78 percent of the 2,985 May 14 election candidates in Bacolod have filed their SOCEs as of June 13 – the deadline for the filing.
About 500 barangay officials have yet to file their SOCEs, including two winning barangay kagawads from Barangay Punta Taytay and Barangay 4 and 45 winning Sangguniang Kabataan kagawads.
Sia said the Campaign Finance Unit of Comelec will send them each a notice to answer why they were not able to file their SOCEs on time.
The SOCE non-filers may face administrative fines and/or disqualification from running for public office depending on their responses.
Sia added that she will also submit the names of the winning candidates who failed to submit their SOCEs to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
It will depend on the DILG if it would allow the winning SOCE non-filers to assume office come June 30, Sia stressed./PN