Comelec: COC filing for barangay, SK elections set from October 6 to 13

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia on Sunday said the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) is set from October 6 to 13, despite calls for the polls' postponement.

However, there will be no COC filing on October 9, based on the Comelec’s calendar of activities for the BSKE elections on December 5, 2022.

The election period is from October 6 to December 12, which will also mark the duration of the Comelec gun ban.

“‘Yung gun ban, papasok na rin po sa October 6 na ‘yan. Sa kaalaman ng lahat, ‘yung mga nakakuha ng gun ban exemption nung 2022, aming nilalatag na ‘yung exemption na ‘yun ay carried over na hanggang dito para sa BSKE elections,” Garcia said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(The gun ban will also take effect on October 6. For those who got the gun ban exemption in 2022, this may be carried over until the BSKE elections.)

The campaign period, meanwhile, will be from November 25 to December 3.

Should the December 5 BSKE elections push through, casting of ballots will start at 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The last day to file Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) will then be on January 4, 2023.

Last month, the House Suffrage and Electoral Reforms committee voted to postpone the BSKE to December 4, 2023

Garcia earlier told the House Suffrage and Electoral Reforms panel that such postponement means additional cost for the government since moving the barangay and youth council polls to a later date mandates the poll body to reopen registration for new voters.

Pending the final decision on the matter, the preparations and procurement of election paraphernalia are still ongoing, according to him.

Hybrid polls

Garcia also reiterated that he supports the proposals for the conduct of hybrid elections —part manual, part automated —in the country.

He said that they are awaiting Congress to pass such a measure.

“Ang Comelec naman po, open sa ganyang klaseng sistema lalong-lalo na ito ay maaaring mas makapag-bigay ng transparency sa pagboto ng ating kababayan at para magkaron ng mas mataas na integridad ang pagboto sa ating eleksyon,” he said.

(The Comelec is open to this kind of system, especially that it can provide more transparency in the voting process and give a higher integrity in voting in our elections.) —LBG, GMA News