Age really matters: No proclamation for 1,000 over-aged SK bets – Comelec

Manual counting of election officers of Barangay and SK election in Barangay Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.
EDWIN BACASMAS

More than 1,000 candidates for Sangguniang Kabataan posts will not be proclaimed even if they are declared winners in the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

In a message on Monday afternoon, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Acting Chairman Al Pareno said its legal office would file cases against erring candidates who violated age limits and registration policies.

“We are suspending around 1,000 cases as of today. Huwag silang magulat na nagsuspend kami ng mga tao na ipo-proclaim namin na nanalo na sa SK, dahil kung over-aged, di namin papaupuin,” Pareno said.

“Most of them akala bata pa sila; they are more than 24 years old. Ang nagtataka kami is may 40 years old na magse-swear in mamaya, kaya ang ginawa namin nagsuspend kami,” he added.

Pareno also stressed that they will file cases against SK and Barangay candidates who ran in districts where they are not registered voters.

“Approximately may 3,000 to 4,000 cases ang nakikita namin, and this week, the Comelec law department has finished most of them, about 2,000,” Pareno said.

What if erring candidates win?

According to Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia, a procedure for succession will be observed when a candidate has been proven to have violated Comelec rules and regulations.

“Ang rule diyan, maka-cancel yung certificate of candidacy mo kapag ang basis of their declaration in their certificate of candidacy are false. Or kapag hindi eligible, may procedure diyan for succession,” Guia said in a message on Monday.

She explained that the Comelec can only accept and not reject certificates of candidacy. However, if candidates are found to have violated Comelec rules, a procedure for the cancellation of their certificates will be followed.

“The only way we can handle that is to file a formal procedure for cancellation of their certificate of candidacy na madi-disqualify siya. Iyon lang yung option namin,” Guia said.

Comelec aims to resolve the issue before the winning candidates take their oaths of office on June 30.

“Now we are hoping we can resolve all of these cases by June 30 so that malinaw yung succession kung kaya kung cancellation mababalewala yung boto,” Guia said. /vvp/ac