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Aspirants file your certificate of candidacy on October 1-8,2024
Substitute candidates must be with same surname and political party
Partylist must file Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance
HEADLINES
Bet replacement by COC withdrawal banned
By J.Lo
COMELEC CHAIRMAN GEORGE GARCIA
"Candidates, lay your cards on the table…be up front about your candidacy and there will be no more changes," Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said "if you're really decided, lay it out at once…file your candidacy."
Comelec has unanimously decided not to allow candidate substitution based on withdrawal after weeklong filing of certificate of candidacy (COC), Comelec officials said.
At Bagong Pilipinas public briefing, Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco said commission has set from Oct. 1 to 8 filing of COC for those running in 2025 midterm elections.
At the same time, groups participating in party-list elections may also file Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance.
Laudiangco said Comelec would allow filing of withdrawal and substitution only from Oct. 1 to 8. "If candidate with political party will withdraw from Oct. 9 onwards, it will no longer be allowed to substitute other candidate," he noted.
Garcia said Comelec will only allow substitution of candidate on grounds of death or disqualification.
He said substitute candidate must have same surname as one replaced and must belong to same political party.
Official list of those running will be released early, according to Comelec, to give voters enough time to screen them and file disqualification complaints if necessary.
Soon after end of COC filing, Laudiangco said Comelec will post certified list of candidates in all poll body's offices.
"For what purpose…to show public these people have filed COC and so evaluation and research into their persons can start if they deserve our vote or not," he stressed.
Since it's automated election, Laudiangco said list of candidates will also be posted on Comelec's website for public to see and thoroughly look into identities of aspirants.
"In order to see who are candidates and those who want to file cancellation of COC, disqualification, nuisance can file at correct Comelec office," he added.
Laudiangco said Comelec will also allow electronic filing of petitions for disqualification or cancellation of COC so that complaints can be resolved quicker.
He said Comelec wants all pending disqualification cases to have been resolved and nuisance candidates removed before printing of ballots.
Despite absence of enabling law, Comelec is pushing through with planned internet voting in May 2025 elections for Filipino voters abroad.
Garcia reported that commissioners decided against cancellation of planned internet voting.
"We weighed implications, all possibilities, and we saw need to proceed with internet voting although it's not in the law because no one is questioning it anyway before Supreme Court," Garcia told reporters.
"We felt consequences would be heavier if we canceled internet voting, presently being expected by our countrymen abroad," chairman added.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III previously expressed his reservations over use of internet voting in 2025 midterm elections.
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