MANILA - The Commission on Elections is suspending the proclamation of at least 1,000 Sangguniang Kabataan candidates following confirmation that they exceeded the age cap for the youth elections.
"We will suspend the proclamation of SK winners who may be overage," Comelec Acting Chair Al Parreño told reporters here.
Under the law, candidates vying for the Sangguniang Kabataan posts should only be between 18 and 24 years old.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec could not stop overaged SK candidates from filing their certificates of candidacy as the law requires the poll body to perform a "ministerial function" during the filing of election documents.
"Accepting the certificate of candidacy is ministerial for the Comelec, meaning if someone gives you a certificate of candidacy regardless of the irregularities, you have to accept it," Jimenez told ABS-CBN News.
About 5,000 more certificates of candidacies of SK bets are being reviewed to check if they exceeded the age limit, Parreño said.
About 386,206 SK candidates are gunning for 335,584 seats in the village elections. Most of the winners are expected to be declared by Monday evening, after polling precincts close at 3 p.m.
The last time the youth elections were held in the Philippines was in 2010.
commission on elections, comelec, bkse, barangay elections, Al Parreño, James Jimenez, Sangguniang Kabataan