Nat’l candidates to file COCs at Sofitel tent, says Comelec exec

Comelec Executive Director Bartolome Sinocruz during the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System. Screengrab from Senate of the Philippines Youtube

MANILA, Philippines — The filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) of national candidates in the 2022 elections will be conducted in a hotel tent, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Wednesday.

During the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System, Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the panel, asked where a “COVID-safe” venue for the COC filing would be.

“The filing of certificates of candidacy po of national positions will be at the Sofitel, in one of its tents,” Comelec Executive Director Bartolome Sinocruz answered.

“The doors will be open. There will be ventilation. That’s really a big space to be divided into a venue for filing for president, vice president, senators, and party-list,” he added.

Rules on the campaign activities would be released by October as the COC filing period would be from October 1 to 8, Sinocruz mentioned.

Further, the Comelec is planning to hold a one-day election that could be extended up to 24 hours.

“We’re not looking at a two-day [election], but we’re looking at extended voting hours which may extend up to 24 hours or even the next day,” Sinocruz shared.

The Comelec will hold an election day on Sunday to gauge voting time given the limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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