MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday it will study the proposal to move the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for the May 2019 midterm polls a week later than the original schedule.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said the poll body’s en banc is set to discuss the matter on Wednesday.
“We have an election calendar that will be affected (if) we move the date. If it is possible without delaying our preparations for May 2019, why not?” Guanzon said in an interview.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, meanwhile, echoed Guanzon’s remarks.
“That will be submitted to the en banc. They will formally discuss it tomorrow (Wednesday) but as of press time, they are studying it,“ he said in a radio interview.
Jimenez said they set the filing of the COC from Oct. 1 to 5 to attend to pressing matters in connection with next year’s polls.
“We set the filing of COC at the earliest possible time since it has to be loaded to the printers. We need to have enough time to look at those who are looking to join the polls and to start printing the ballots as they will be sent to the provinces,” he said.
Jimenez added that postponing the filing period will have a major effect on their preparations.
“Malaking epekto niyan. Uurong lahat ng activities. Parang domino yan, itumba mo isa tumba lahat. Pag inurong yan, lahat uurong. Hindi lang din yan pinaghahandaan, meron pa tayong plebisito sa January para sa (That will have a big effect. All activities will be rescheduled. It’s like a domino, you flick one and the rest will fall. If we are to move that, everything will be moved. We are not just preparing for that. We are also preparing for the January plebiscite on the) Bangsamoro Organic Law,” he said.
On Monday, the House of Representative passed a resolution urging the Comelec to move the COC filing period to Oct. 11-17 from October 1-5. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
