Comelec is ready for filing of COCs for 17,888 elected seats

It’s all systems go for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 17,888 public seats available in the 2010 elections, a Commission on Election (Comelec) official said on Thursday.

“All systems go na tayo for the filing of COCs," Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told GMANews.TV in an interview.

The period of filing of COCs will start Friday, November 20, and will proceed until the midnight of December 1, 2009.

Sarmiento said their local offices are prepared for the activity. “I think our people are ready for the filing of COCs. All are aware of the deadline and the start of the filing."

The poll body’s offices will be open for the filing of COCs from Friday November 20 all the way to midnight of December 1, "regardless whether it’s a Saturday or a holiday including those holidays in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao," according to Comelec chairman Jose Melo.

The Comelec Law Department will be in charge of accepting the COCs of presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial candidates. It will be accepting the forms at the Project Management Office (PMO) at the first floor of the poll body’s office in Intramuros, Manila.

Lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan of the law department said that only the candidate, their immediate family, and their lawyer may enter the PMO, where they will be welcomed by five receiving clerks.

Sarmiento requested that before they submit their COCs, they should already talk to the media to avoid any premature campaigning.

COCs for party-list groups, on the other hand, will have to be submitted to the Clerk of Commission at the eighth floor of the Comelec office.

Those seeking congressional seats in the National Capital Region (NCR) have to submit their COCs to the regional election director, while those running in the provinces must file their COCs to the provincial election supervisor concerned.

On the other hand, those seeking congressional seats in legislative districts in cities outside the NCR and those running for local positions must submit their COCs to the city election officer concerned.

The COC must be personally filed by the candidate or by his duly authorized representative. The poll body said it shall not be filed or accepted by mail, telegram, or facsimile.

The Comelec, through Resolution 8673, said COCs not filed with the correct offices shall not be accepted.

The poll body also said that no person shall be eligible for more than one office in one election. If he or she files a certificate of candidacy for more than one office, he or she shall not be considered for either unless he or she cancels his or her COC for other positions.

Meanwhile, the certificate of nomination of registered political parties or coalitions of political parties of their candidates must be filed not later than the last day of the filing of COCs.

If after the last day for the filing of COCs, an official candidate of a party dies, withdraws, or is disqualified for any cause, he or she may be replaced by a substitute candidate belonging to and nominated by the same party. However, no substitute shall be allowed for any independent candidate.

Sarmiento said it would take them a month to process all the COCs and come out with a final list of candidates before the printing of the ballots.

There is one slot for president and vice president each; 12 for senators; 222 for Lower House representatives; 80 for governors and vice governors; 762 for provincial board members; 120 for city mayors and vice mayors; 1,514 for municipal mayors and vice mayors; 1,346 for city councilors; and 12,116 for municipal councilors.

Melo said the Commission is expecting a great number of candidates next year since it will be a national election. A total of 68,000 candidates ran in the May 2004 elections, also a national election, while some 46,000 aspirants filed their COCs in the 2007 local elections.

• GMA

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