Comelec: All DQ cases, petitions to be settled within 2022
Comelec headquarters
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday promised that it would settle all existing petitions to disqualify candidates of the recent national and local elections docketed to the poll body within 2022.
Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, during the weekly “Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum,” said these petitions include disqualification cases and petitions to cancel certificates of candidacy (COC).
“Ang commitment naman po ng Comelec en banc tatapusin po lahat ito [disqualification cases and petitions] as much as possible within this year lahat po ito idi-dispose para po finally ma-settle na lahat ng isyu sa kanilang pagkakaupo,” said Laudiangco.
(The commitment of the Comelec en banc is to finish [all disqualification cases and petitions] as much as possible within this year so that all the issues incumbent officials face can be finally settled.)
Meanwhile, Laudiangco also gave assurance that the Comelec en banc is already expediting all 17 vote-buying cases filed against different candidates during the 2022 national and local elections.
“Dahil nga konti nga po ito makakaasa po ang ating mga kababayan na mabilis itong made-desisyunan (because it is few, the public can expect that the decisions will be out quickly),” said Laudiangco.
“Ang nagpapahirap po kasi sa amin dati ‘yung dami ng kasong natatanggap namin (what used to make it difficult for us was the number of cases we received),” he explained.
Laudiangco also said that Republic Act 9369 or the “Automation Law” gives equal jurisdiction to Comelec and other prosecuting arms of the government, particularly the National Prosecutions Office, to settle vote-buying cases. As a result, it has made it easier for the poll body to resolve these cases.
“Dati po kasi lahat ng kasong ito kay Comelec lamang pwede mag-imbistiga pero ngayon kasama na namin ang piskalya,” said Laudiangco.
(Previously, all these cases could only be investigated by the Comelec, but now the fiscal can help us.)
Recently, the Comelec disqualified Albay Governor Noel Rosal and his wife, Legazpi City Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal for violating a provision of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) against the release of public funds during the election period.
The two participated in a two-day cash assistance payout for tricycle drivers and senior citizens during the 45-day campaign spending ban.
