Comelec: COC filing ends Thursday

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—There will be no extension in the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for those running in the barangay (village) polls, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The deadline for the filing of COCs ends at 5 p.m. Thursday.

“We will close the doors exactly at 5 p.m. There will be no extension,” said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. in a press briefing.

He explained that the poll body would not extend the COC filing period since the campaign period will already begin on Friday.

“If we allow filing on Oct. 18, it means we also have to defer the campaign period. So we will not extend the deadline,” said Brillantes.

However, the Comelec allowed election officers in earthquake-hit areas to extend the time of filing COCs in their respective areas until 8 p.m.

“They were asking permission to extend the period of filing COCs. Not extension of date, but extension of time only. So instead of 5 p.m., they can close by 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. It is OK for as long as we don’t go beyond Oct.  17,” said Brillantes.

Meanwhile, the Comelec en banc is set to discuss Thursday the possibility of postponing elections in the earthquake-affected areas such as Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Negros Occidental as well as flood-stricken Nueva Ecija.

Brillantes said they received initial reports of heavy damages caused by the earthquake in Tacloban, Leyte; Bacolod, Negros Occidental; Maasin, Southern Leyte; as well as in some Northern Mindanao areas.