Hordes of feng shui-driven candidates file COCs

MANILA, Philippines — As expected, the local offices of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) were jampacked with candidates filing their applications for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls yesterday – a date replete with No. 8, which is an auspicious number in Chinese feng shui or geomancy.

According to lawyer Frances Aguindadao-Arabe, deputy director of the Comelec Education and Information Division, she dispatched four teams to monitor the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) in Metro Manila yesterday.

True enough, she said the teams observed the significantly long lines of filers in almost all Comelec offices in the metropolis.

“We wanted to know if there will really be an influx and apparently, there were many people waiting outside. They arrived at the offices of our Election Officers as early as 7 a.m. because they wanted to have their COCs received at exactly 8:08 a.m.,” she told The STAR.

Those who missed 8:08 a.m. waited for 8:18 a.m., 8:28 a.m., 8:38 a.m. and so on. Many went as far as requesting the Comelec staff to mark that their COCs were accepted around the time of 8 a.m.

Arabe admitted that it was difficult for the Comelec personnel because candidates were choosing the time. They were even requesting for the filing period to be extended beyond 5 p.m. because they wanted to file on April 18.

“Most of the aspirants were after the date, April 18, 2018 because they believe this an auspicious number or a lucky number,” she added.

The Comelec also reminded prospective candidates for the barangay and SK polls on May 14 that the period for filing of COC ends tomorrow and there is no plan to extend it.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said based on the schedule, the poll body has to come out with the official list of candidates after two weeks. 

“It will end on Friday. As we speak, April 20 is the last day of filing and there will be no extension,” he told the Kapihan sa Manila Bay at Cafe Adriatico in Malate, Manila. 

Jimenez reported that a total of 305,082 COCs were filed with local Comelec offices nationwide. Of this number, 225,617 are for the barangay race while 79,465 are for SK.

Jimenez said overall, 207,778 male candidates filed their COCs while 97,304 female candidates have so far listed.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged the Comelec to discuss in the poll body’s next meeting the proposal to require barangay and SK candidates to submit their resumé.

DILG spokesman Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya said that the proposal of the citizens’ arm National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) is laudable and should merit consideration as it will level up the election a notch to give way to more competent and worthy barangay and SK leaders.

“While we follow the requirements of the Constitution for qualifications of an elective barangay and SK official, the DILG hopes that submission of biodata would be given high consideration by Comelec en banc as it is a beneficial supplement to a more democratic choice and selection of leaders,” Malaya added.

At the same time, Malaya said the DILG is calling all barangay and SK candidates to voluntarily submit their biodata and campaign platforms to the Comelec to show that they are among the accountable, efficient and reliable barangay and SK officials of the future.

“The commission is amply clothed with legal authority to grant Namfrel’s proposal in the exercise of the Commission’s mandate under the Constitution to promulgate rules and regulations,” he said.

Comelec earlier announced that the agency has no more time to deliberate on and enact a policy on the matter but said there was no harm in complying with the DILG’s suggestion.

In its Twitter account, the commission said, “This will help you in informing and educating voters in voting wisely come campaign period.”

?Malaya added that the barangay and SK campaign period is set from May 4 to May 12 so there is still enough time for all bets to comply with a proposed Comelec resolution, should the commission grant the DILG proposal.

Malaya previously clarified that the DILG will not recommend a template or format of resumé and it will be up to the barangay and SK candidates what they will disclose to the public.  –  With Cecille Suerte Felipe