Comelec, Pangasinan execs say Espino filed SOCE on time

Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. Photo from pangasinan.gov.ph

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — An official of the Pangasinan provincial government said on Thursday that Governor Amado Espino Jr. submitted his Statement of Election Contributions and Expenditure (SOCE) for the May 13 elections on time, denying reports that the governor failed to comply with the requirement.

“It’s not true. He submitted it on June 10, 2013, and was received by the Comelec (Commission on Elections) provincial office in Dagupan City at 3:40 p.m.,” said provincial administrator Rafael Baraan.

In a news conference, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said some 400 officials, including Espino, failed to submit their SOCE.

Under the law, all candidates have to submit their SOCE 30 days after the election.

Marino Salas, provincial election supervisor, said Espino had complied with the law.

“As far as we are concerned, the governor submitted [his Soce] before the deadline,” Salas said by telephone.

He said he sent Espino’s and the other local candidates’ SOCE to the Comelec central office in Manila through a commercial courier on June 19.

“We have the receipts. Most likely, it was lost in Manila (Comelec main office). But as far as we are concerned, it’s on record, we received it and it was complete,” Salas said.

“I’m going to report this today to Manila that per our records, the governor (Espino had) complied. We received [his Soce] and we sent it there,” he said.

RELATED STORIES:

Comelec asks over 400 local execs to vacate posts

Vilma Santos-Recto: We filed poll expenses

Arroyo’s camp calls Brillantes ‘liar’