Comelec: Initial list of candidates to be released Wednesday almost final

The Commission on Elections on Sunday said the initial list of candidates to be released on Wednesday would be close to the final roster that would be included in the ballots for the May 2016 national and local polls.

“What we want by December 23, when we come out with the list, although it will not yet be final, more or less, we want it to be close to the final list of candidates already,” said Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista.

Last week, the commission en banc postponed the release of the official list of candidates from December 15 to December 23, as there were still several pending cases involving those who filed their certificates of candidacy.

Bautista noted that the list to be released next week is still subject  to changes until January 8.

“The initial list, we want to have it by December 23...,” he added.

Among the possible candidates in the forthcoming polls with disqualification cases before the Comelec are presidential aspirants Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Poe is facing four petitions to have her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) canceled due to questions about her citizenship and residency qualifications.

She has already been disqualified by the Comelec First and Second Divisions and has two pending motions for reconsideration (MRs) before the commission en banc.

On the other hand, Duterte is facing a disqualification case before the Comelec First Division due to persistent questions on the validity of Martin Diño’s COC, which would determine the fate of Duterte’s substitution bid.

The Comelec is looking to start the printing of official ballots by the third week of January. — LBG, GMA News