Comelec misses target release of official Halalan 2022 candidates list

MANILA— The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not release on Wednesday, Dec. 15, the list of official Halalan 2022 candidates, citing "a number of unresolved nuisance cases."

• Comelec may declare 205 aspirants as 'nuisance candidates'

"The list of official candidates will not be released [December 15]... We expect that the process of finalizing the list of candidates will take at least two more weeks," Comelec spokesman James Jimenez told reporters. 

• Comelec eyes resolution of cases vs presidential bets by December 15

Two days ago, Jimenez said Comelec was also "pretty confident" it will be able to release the final list of candidates "hopefully on the 15th, but give or take a few days."

• Comelec working to resolve cases vs presidential aspirants by December 15

While the Dec. 15 target was not "official" or promulgated in any resolution, several poll body officials, including commissioner Marlon Casquejo repeatedly cited the date in several pronouncements. 

The Comelec earlier said it has moved to purge "almost three-fourths" of nearly 600 people who filed certificates of candidacy for president, vice president, senator, and party-list representative for the 2022 polls.

• Comelec moves to declare as nuisance almost 75 pct of aspirants for national posts

The Comelec will have to finalize the official list of candidates before January 12, the start of the printing of 2022 ballots. 

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