MANILA – Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the passage of a measure to penalize the so-called “nuisance candidates.”
Gatchalian proposed Senate Bill 911 to avoid the mocking of the process of filing certificates of candidacy.
“Nakita naman natin iyong mga kumandidato na alam mo namang hindi talaga seryoso o trip-trip lang iyong pag-file [ng COC],” he said in a statement. “Sana naman ay hindi nila babuyin iyong proseso.”
While the 1987 Constitution guarantees equal access to opportunities for public service, the Supreme Court also ruled that “running for public office is a privilege, not a right,” said Gatchalian.
“Natutuwa tayo na we have a lot of people who want to be involved in nation-building by offering themselves to be public servants,” he said. “Pero siyempre itong pagkakandidato ay subject to the limitations imposed by law.”
Under the bill, Comelec may cancel a COC if, after affording due process to the filing party, it finds that the said certificate was filed to “obtain money, profit, or any other consideration.”
The bill also proposed a fine of P50,000 for any person who had filed a COC only to put the election process in “mockery or disrepute; cause confusion among voters by similarity of the names of the registered candidates; obtain money, profit or any other consideration; or under any other circumstances or acts clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for office.”
“Sana maipasa na ang panukalang batas na ito sa lalong madaling panahon para mapigilan ang mga hindi naman talaga seryosong balak tumakbo sa pag-file ng mga COC,” Gatchalian said./
