Comelec office. FILE PHOTO
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday postponed the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2019 national and local elections to October 11 to 17.
This announcement came after the Senate and the House of Representatives adopted a measure urging Comelec to postpone the COC filing by a week. The original schedule of COC filing was set from October 1 to 5.
“The Comelec en banc has authorized the re-scheduling of the filing of certificates of candidacy for the #2019NLE to October 11-17, 2018, excluding Saturday and Sunday,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement.
Unlike in previous years when COC filing was held on a Monday and ended on a Friday, October 11 falls on a Thursday while October 17 falls on a Wednesday.
The COC filing period this year, however, excludes Saturday (October 13) and Sunday (October 14).
“On the last day, there will be no extension of filing hours,” Jimenez said.
Lawmakers said Monday that the postponement of COC filing was imperative “to enable members of Congress to fully attend to their legislative duties and meet the deadline for the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the 2019 national and local elections.”
Jimenez on Tuesday said that postponing the filing of COCs for the May 2019 elections may delay the printing of ballots.
READ: Postponing COC filing may delay ballot printing—Comelec
Jimenez said Comelec needs sufficient time to screen the applications of candidates, print out ballots, and distribute the ballots across the country.
Postponing the filing of COCs, he said, will push back all these activities. Daphne Galvez, INQUIRER.net /kga