The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expected to release the official list of candidates for the 2022 elections as it begins its evaluation to filter out possible nuisance candidates.
At least 82 out of the 97 aspiring presidential candidates might be declared as nuisance, together with 15 out of 29 aspiring vice presidentiables, and 108 out of the 176 aspiring senatorial candidates.
To date, there have been 10 aspirants who have filed for substitution for president, vice president, and senator since Oct. 8. This includes President Rodrigo Duterte who sought to join the senatorial race during the last hour of filing on Nov. 15.
The Comelec will also evaluate the filed candidacy for president of former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade who substituted an independent aspirant.
The Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code states that “only a person belonging to, and certified by, the same political party may file a certificate of candidacy to replace the candidate who died, withdrew or was disqualified.”
“The substitute candidate nominated by the political party concerned may file his certificate of candidacy for the office affected in accordance with the preceding sections not later than mid-day of the day of the election,” it read.
Parlade will be given the chance to submit his argument.
“… Kung magkaproblema sa political party, so again it is possible na matawag silang independent,” Comelec Spox. Dir. James Jimenez said. –Report from Karen Villanda/AG-rir
