Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia (File photo)
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said it is ready to move the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) once a law postponing the same is enacted.
“In the filing of COCs, if it is signed, the Commission en banc will discuss this, if we will no longer continue with the COC filing by October 22. There may be problems in case they were able to file COC, which might create confusion,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in a press briefing after the oath taking of newly appointed Commissioners Nelson Celis and Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. in Pasay City.
The 2022 BSKE filing period is set from Oct. 22 to 29.
On the other hand, the poll body chief noted that their only purpose for a possible halt in the ballot printing procedure is to change the date of the polls.
“In the printing of the ballot, if we stop, the only purpose is to make a new template. To reflect the new date of BSKE,” he said.
Early this month, the Comelec started the printing of close to 92 million ballots, which consist of 67,061,585 ballots for village voters, and 24,457,363 ballots for youth voters.
Aside from official ballots, the poll body will be printing other accountable forms to be used in the village and youth polls at the National Printing Office in Quezon City.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives already ratified the measure postponing the Dec. 5 BSKE to the last Monday of October 2023.
The bill is awaiting the signature of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before it becomes a law. (PNA)
