Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero said the rules of the Omnibus Election Code that allow substitution of candidates render inutile the October 8 deadline for filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 Elections as it undermines the sanctity of the electoral process.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, substitution of candidates is allowed in case of death, disqualification or withdrawal of individuals seeking elective position, but some aspirants and political parties have already declared this early that they are running or fielding candidates as “placeholders” ahead of the November 15 deadline for substitution of candidates.
“Filing (of COC) should be a conscious, voluntary and selfless act to offer yourself to the ‘altar of ballot’ for the sole purpose of serving the people. It’s not done to please anyone, person, group or party, much less to play with and circumvent the intent of the electoral process,” Escudero said on his Twitter account.
“The rules on substitution render useless the period for filing of certificates of candidacy which ended last October 8. Substitution until November 15 renders nugatory the October 8 deadline,” the veteran senator added.
At the end of the filing of COC with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on October 8, a total of 97 aspirants sought to succeed President Duterte whose term is ending in June 2022. Twenty-nine filed their COCs for vice president, 176 are vying for the Senate, 733 as district representatives, and 270 party-list groups submitted their list of nominees to the poll body.
About 46,548 others filed their COCs for governor down to councilor, according to data from the COMELEC.
The COMELEC is set to review and scrutinize aspirants to weed out nuisance candidates in accordance with Section 69 of the Omnibus Election Code, which described them as aspirants who “put the election process in mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters” or who clearly demonstrate that they have “no bona fide intention to run for office.”
“Sana masusing tingnan at busisiin ng COMELEC ang listahan ng mga kumakandidato at tanggalin at alisin ang mga fake candidates. Karapatan ng mga botante ang pumili ng mga seryosong kandidato na ang tunay na intensyon ay maglingkod at magserbersiyo,” Escudero said.