Final list of bets for 2019 polls out later this week —Comelec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will release the final list of candidates for the 2019 national and local elections later this coming week, December 17 to 21, spokesperson James Jimenez said on Sunday.

Jimenez made the remark to clarify the initially-announced date of release of the final list of candidacy scheduled on Saturday, December 15.

"The COMELEC has announced that the release date for the final list of candidates for [the 2019 national and local elections] has been moved to the latter half of next week," Jimenez told GMA News Online in a text message.

Jimenez said this move is to "allow pending issues related to several candidacies to be settled, without negatively impacting the final contents of the 2019 ballot."

The Comelec spokesperson likewise assured will not adversely affect the schedule of the commission's activities related to the upcoming elections.

The poll body began accepting certificates of candidacy (COCs) for national and local bets on October 11 until October 17.

Substitute candidates for bets who withdrew their candidacy, died, or were disqualified by final judgment, meanwhile, were allowed to file their COCs from October 18 to November 29.

On Friday, the Commission showed the media and election stakeholders how the software system that will be used in the 2019 elections is assembled and programmed as part of their preparations for next year's polls.

The election period for the midterm elections will start on January 13, 2019. —KG, GMA News