Residents under the first district of Quezon City register as voters at a satellite office of the Commission on Elections on Jan. 31, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said it moved back the filing period for certificates of candidacy in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to prevent violence and clear out nuisance candidates.
Comelec postponed the COC filing to Aug. 28-Sept. 2 from the earlier schedule of July 3-7.
Comelec chairman George Garcia said an earlier COC filing period could contribute to the "heated situation" in local elections.
"[Ito ay] upang mapagdesisyunan sana namin yung ifa-file na nuisance
cases, yung mga panggulo sa ating halalan o yung mga tinatawag na disqualification cases," said Garcia in a televised briefing.
"Para ma-prevent [din] natin yung umiinit na sitwasyon na nagkakaroon ng violence, kasi [kapag] mas mahaba, alam na agad nila kung sino ang tumatakbo, sino ang magkakalaban, sino ang magkakamag-anak at magkakaptibahay, magkakaibigan at magkakalaban," he added.
(This is so we could decide on nuisance cases, the so-called disqualification cases. We also want to prevent the situation from heating up and leading to violence, because with an earlier COC filing, they would immediately know who is running, their opponents, who among them are relatives, neighbors, friends, rivals.)
He said because of the recent adjustments, the election period would start on Aug. 28, triggering the ban on public works and guns.
"Diyan magsisimula yung election period. Nangangahulugan rin para sa serbisyo sa bayan, mga social services, tulad ng public works ban, doon pa lang magsisimula," he said.
"Pagpasok ng [August] 28, kailangan na nilang kumuha ng exemption... mula sa Comelec," he added.
(That's when the election period would start. That would also mean the start of ban on public works. By the 28th, they would need to get an exemption for this from Comelec.)
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. last year postponed the 2022 BSKE to the last Monday of October 2023.
The elections for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan will be held every three years thereafter.