MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Governnment (DILG) on Wednesday said it will seek the disqualification of erring local government officials who will run in next year’s mid-term elections.
Interior OIC-Secretary Eduardo M. Año said since 2016, there are 300 local officials facing administrative cases who might be suspended and dismissed, while 93 are included on the narco-list and 250 have pending cases investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“We will submit our proposal-recommendation to the Comelec (Commission on Elections) kung pwedeng i-disqualify yung candidate (if we can have the candidate disqualified). Yung sa last time kasi, mga barangay (Last time, we had barangay officials). This time, marami-rami ito (there are so many). Candidates for provincial governor and Sangguniang Panglungsod and Panlalawigan down to municipality,” Año told reporters after the launching of Bantay Korapsyon at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Quezon City.
Año added that there is no need for any legislation on the matter because the poll body has the authority to disqualify candidates.
He said they have yet to determine when they will be able to file their recommendations to the Comelec regarding the issue.
The period for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) of all candidates in the forthcoming elections will be from Oct. 11 to 17, except on Oct. 13 (Saturday) and Oct. 14 (Sunday) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The poll body said that those planning to run for national positions should file their COCs at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila while those seeking local positions should be filed at the poll body offices in their city or municipality.
The campaign period for senatorial bets and party-list groups is from Feb. 12 to May 11, 2019 while the campaign period for members of the House of Representatives and regional, provincial, city, and municipal bets will be from March 29 to May 11, 2019.
The Comelec added that campaigning is prohibited on the eve of Election Day (May 12) and Election Day.
The election period for the May 2019 mid-term polls will be from January 13 to June 12.
During the period, the poll body prohibits the following: alteration of precincts or establishment of new precincts; carrying of firearms or other deadly weapons; use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates; transfer of officers and employees in the civil service; and suspension of any elective local officer. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
