Comelec to speed up resolution of petitions vs nuisance bets

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday vowed to quickly resolve petitions seeking to declare some individuals as nuisance candidates.

At a press conference, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said the Comelec en banc decided "to unclog the dockets before the 2025 elections."

"Sa mga nuisance cases--and this is a warning to those who will be filing nuisance candidates in the future--sinabi namin na kung magfa-file ng candidacy, for example, ng 2024, within the same year, we will resolve all the nuisance cases because ayaw namin na kami rin ang pinapahirapan, and we will resolve it sa en banc level lahat para lang mas mabilis kasi na-abuse e yung nuisance," Garcia said.

"Alam nila na mabagal ang resolution ng commission, hindi nare-resolve agad, nakakasama ang pangalan sa listahan, nagkakaroon ng confusion, naiboboto, minsan ang napoproklama e 'yung hindi dapat naproklama, pag in-add mo pala 'yung boto ng mismong nuisance dapat yung naproklama e 'yung tamang kandidato. So therefore, para maiwasan 'yan, we will resolve expeditiously cases such as those disqualification cases, but more particularly nuisance cases," he added.

Garcia also said the poll body will release a minute resolution that will summarily dismiss about 2,000 election offense cases.

"Today, my office will be releasing a minute resolution that will practically dismiss almost 2,000 cases, a resolution signed by all the commissioners," he said.

"We will have to accept and admit that there were certain cases which were left unresolved. Several years na ito...para naman hindi kami maakusahan na nagba-violate ng constitutional right of the accused," he added.

Garcia said cases that are set to be dismissed involve petitions that were filed in 2007, 2010, and 2013.

"From now on, all the other cases will have to be resolved expeditiously. 'Yun nga po ang aming commitment kaya lahat ng opisina ng commissioners ay minamadali natin ang pagresolve," he said.

GMA News Online asked Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco to provide the data on the pending cases in the poll body, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. —VBL, GMA Integrated News