BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental provincial election supervisor Jessie Suarez confirmed that some areas in the province ran out of documentary stamps on April 14 – the first day of the filing of certificates of candidacies (COCs) for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Suarez said election officers of municipalities and cities – including Bacolod – in the province reported the lack of documentary stamps that day.
They have “limited stocks,” stressed Suarez, but adding that there was a “good number” of areas that did not face the same problem.
What the election officers did was they made applicants secure certifications from the treasurer’s office, Suarez said.
The applicants, however, were still required to get documentary stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, especially that the agency said it has enough documentary stamp supply.
The documentary stamp will be used in shipping a copy of the COC to the Commission on Elections central office.
The filing of COCs will end on April 20./PN
