Comelec ‘likely’ to tackle on Wednesday Cusi faction’s petition to extend COC filing

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is “likely” to tackle the petition filed by a PDP-Laban faction seeking to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) during its en banc session on Wednesday, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Tuesday.

In a virtual press briefing, Jimenez said the motion filed by the PDP-Laban group led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi will be referred to the Commission en Banc, which will decide whether or not they will grant the prayers stipulated in the petition.

“At this point, hinahanda ‘yung referral to the Commission en Banc and it is very likely to be taken up in the en banc [session] tomorrow. So after the en banc tomorrow, we should have some information…kung ano mangyayari sa motion na ito to reopen COC [filing],” he said

(At this point, we are preparing the motions referral to the Commission en Banc and it is very likely to be taken up in the en banc session tomorrow. So after the en banc tomorrow, we should have some information about the decision on this motion to reopen the COC filing.)

“Hinahabol natin para mapag-usapan na agad [We are working on being able to discuss it as soon as possible]. It’s a little tricky because there are a lot of issues involved in it, there’s a lot of consequences [if we’re] opening up the COC filing once again. Apart from the whole unexpectedness of this request and the whole unprecedented nature of the request, there are a whole lot of issues that are involved,” he added.

On December 31, 2021, the Cusi-led faction filed a petition seeking the reopening of the COC filing as well as the postponement of the printing of ballots, saying parties should also be allowed more time to decide whom to field in Eleksyon 2022.

The PDP-Laban has no candidate for president in Eleksyon 2022.

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, a long time aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, initially filed a COC for vice president under PDP-Laban.

He withdrew the bid after Duterte's daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte filed a COC for vice president.

Go filed a COC for president as a substitute under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), a party allied with the PDP-Laban.

The senator in the end also withdrew his 2022 presidential bid under PDDS.

Two factions of the PDP-Laban are vying for recognition before the Comelec—that of Cusi and Duterte, and the other of Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s wing tagged the petition filed by their rival faction as a "last-ditch effort" to push for a no-election scenario in 2022.

But Cusi’s group dismissed this, saying they are only “exercising its rights under the election laws.”

“Let the Comelec rule on the petition based on legal arguments/merits. Let us not focus on naysayers dwelling on conjectures and name-calling,” they said.

“The petition is based on a constitutional precept on the exercise of suffrage. And as a consequence, it is also imploring on the Comelec to resolve all issues before the ballots are printed.”

Amid the moves made by Cusi’s group, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Senate is already preparing for a possible “No-Election” (No-El) scenario should the Cusi-led PDP-Laban group push to stall Eleksyon 2022.

The Comelec earlier said it is expecting the release of the official list of Eleksyon 2022 candidates by January 7, with the printing of ballots to begin on January 15.

The 2022 national and local elections will be held on May 9, 2022. — BM, GMA News