Filing of certificate of candidacy for 2019 midterm elections to start in October 2018

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday announced that the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the 2019 midterm elections will start in October 2018.

Commission on Elections Election and Barangay Affairs Department Director Teopisto Elnas Jr. made the announcement during a House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms hearing.

The House panel was deliberating the four bills filed to seek the postponement of the scheduled May 14, 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

During the hearing, House panel chair Sherwin Tugna asked Elnas about their timetable on the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2019 midterm elections.

"This coming October 1-5, 2018," Elnas responded.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a phone interview with GMA News Online on Tuesday that the October 1 to 5 time frame are tentative dates, to be replaced when a definite election calendar has been released.

"'Yan ang ginagamit nating projected date for planning purposes, pero wala pa tayong promulgated election calendar," Jimenez said.

The filing of the certificates of candidacy will come seven months before the election itself on May 13, 2019.

Also during the hearing, the House panel approved the proposed postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to the second Monday of October 2018. —With a report from Rie Takumi/DVM/KG, GMA News