Filing of COCs for SK, barangay polls starts Sept. 23—Comelec

Comelec office FILE PHOTO / INQUIRER.net

With no law passed yet postponing the October 23 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, candidates have one week this month to file their candidacy papers.

READ: Bill postponing barangay polls gets 2nd reading approval

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued the advisory even as it awaits a law from Congress deciding on the deferment of the said polls to 2018.

“The filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) in connection with the October 23 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will start on September 23 and will end on September 30,” it said.

This was according to the calendar of activities promulgated by the Comelec earlier this year.

It may be recalled that two separate bills are still pending before the House of Representatives and the Senate, which call for the deferment of the same elections to 2018.

The Comelec said one barangay chairperson and seven members of the Sangguniang Barangay will be elected.

For the youth council, one Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson and seven members of the Sangguniang Kabataan will be elected.

The COCs should be filed at the office of the election officer of the city, municipality or district where the candidate seeks to be elected.

To run for a barangay elective position, a candidate must be a Filipino citizen, a registered voter in the barangay where he intends to be elected and a resident for at least one year;

At least 18 years old and able to read Filipino, any other local language or dialect.

For the Sangguniang Kabataan, candidates should be a Filipino citizen between 18 to 24 years old, a qualified voter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan, a resident of the barangay for at least one year;

Must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official, or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official in the locality he seeks to be elected;

Must not have been convicted by final judgment of any crime involving moral turpitude, and able to read and write Filipino, English or the local dialect.

Candidates have until October 13 to 21 to conduct their campaigns for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, the Comelec said.

Considered as prohibited acts during the campaign period are removing, destroying, obliterating, defacing, tampering or preventing distribution of lawful election propaganda;

Making any donation or gift in cash or in kind; appointing or using special policemen, special or confidential agents or the like; and using armored land, water or air craft;

Policemen and provincial guards acting as bodyguards or security guards of public official or candidates; construction or maintenance of barangay-funded roads and bridges;

Appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new position, promotion, giving salary increases, remuneration or privileges.

The election period, on the other hand, will be from September 23 to October 30.

Prohibited acts during this period are: the carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons; use of security personnel or body guards by candidates; transfer or detail of officers and employees in the civil service including public school teachers, and the suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer. JPV