DILG to newly-elected officials: No SOCE, no oath taking
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has reminded newly-elected officials (NEOs) to file their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) before the deadline on Wednesday, June 8, to avoid delays in their assumption of duty.
“It’s plain and simple: No SOCE, no oath-taking for NEOs. We encourage our NEOs to start their term right by complying with the provisions of the law and submitting their SOCE to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on or before June 8, 2022,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a press statement Tuesday.
Section 14 of Republic Act (RA) 7166 or the Synchronized Elections Act states that every candidate or treasurer of a political party shall file in duplicate with the offices of the Comelec the “full, true, and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election” within 30 days after the elections.
This includes cash and in-kind contributions received by the candidate from a political party and other sources and the expenditures he paid out of personal funds, out of cash contributions, and incurred using in-kind contributions, Año said.
“Sana po ay simulan ninyo nang tama ang inyong mga termino. Comply with your legal obligation as enshrined in our Constitution (I hope you will start your terms on the right foot. Comply with your legal obligation as enshrined in our Constitution),” he added.
Candidates who will not file will be charged with an administrative offense and will be liable to pay a fine ranging from P1,000 to P30,000 at the discretion of the poll body and with the exemption of aspirants in the barangay level.
Año said the DILG and Comelec previously signed a memorandum of agreement which gives the department and its attached agencies the authority to bar winning bets from partaking in an oath of office should they fail to file their SOCEs.
DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that filing of SOCEs are not only limited to winning candidates but is likewise extended to non-winners as well as the political parties.
“There is a misconception that a SOCE is filed only by NEOs but we are stating that according to the law, even non-winners and political parties are required to submit the said statement. Ito po at para sa lahat ng nag-file ng COC nila (It is for everybody who filed a COC),” Malaya said.
Last month, the poll body has called on all candidates who vied for electoral posts in the 2022 national and local elections to file their SOCEs on or before the deadline.
It also warned that failure to comply may result in administrative charges and penalties including disqualification from running for public office.—Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA News