First day of COC filing ‘very successful’ – Comelec spokesman

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

The first day of filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2019 midterm elections has been “very successful,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Spokesperson James Jimenez said Thursday.

Jimenez expressed hope that this sets the trend until the last day of COC filing on October 17, Wednesday.

“Overall, very successful itong first day of filing natin, in the sense na walang major aberya,” he told reporters.

(Overall, our first day of COC filing is very successful, in the sense that there was no major glitch.)

According to Jimenez, they did not receive any report of violence occurring in relation to the COC filing from other Comelec offices across the country.

A total of 27 senatorial aspirants filed their COCs at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila on Thursday.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is the only incumbent senator and first to file a COC at the Comelec main office on Thursday.

Jimenez also noted the turn up of “friendly, familiar faces” who keep filing their COCs every election.

“You have seen some with colorful histories na (already) with Comelec today,” he said. “Some of them are friendly, familiar faces.” /kga