COC filing deadline extended to today

CEBU, Philippines – The Commission on Elections has extended to today the deadline of filing of Certificate of Candidacy for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

The original deadline was yesterday, but in a resolution promulgated also yesterday, the Comelec said it received reports from its field officials of the low turnout of candidates for both barangay and SK positions.

The reports support the concern raised by the National Youth Commission (NYC) that the number of candidates cannot fill the over 300,000 available SK positions.

“Whereas, on April 20, 2018, the National Youth Commission (NYC) expressed its concern that the number of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) registrants who have lodged their COCs are insufficient to fill up the 338,584 positions available for the SK Elections, thereby, appealing to the Commission to extend the period of the filing of COCs for the SK elections,” reads the Comelec resolution.

The commission then decided to extend the deadline to today “in order to prevent this low turnout of candidates, it is imperative to give additional time to potential candidates to file their COCs.”    The resolution was signed by Chairman Al Parreno and Commissioners Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon and Sheriff Abas.

As of yesterday in Cebu City, at least 983 filed COCs for barangay posts and 831 filed COCs for Sangguniang Kabataan posts in the North District. In the South District, 858 filed COCs for barangay posts while 670 filed for SK posts.

In Mandaue City, at least 591 filed COCs for barangay posts while 409 filed for SK posts.

In Lapu-Lapu City, 118 have filed COCs for barangay posts and 310 for SK posts.

Also in Cebu City, the Comelec and the Cebu City Police will discuss and decide if there is a need for barangays to be included on the list of election hotspots.

This after two incidents involving the presence of armed men in Barangay Calamba were reported to the police and the Comelec evening on April 17.

Atty. Anna Fleur Gujilde, election officer of Cebu City’s South District, said she was informed that an unidentified person with a gun went to the house of Calamba councilman Eldy Ygonia evening on April 17 and looked for him.

Another councilman in the barangay, lawyer Noel Bacalla, also reportedly experienced the same incident on that day.

Both councilmen were not able to file their COCs because they were threatened.

“Na-inform na nato ang PNP regarding that (incident) for their evaluation and assessment and they will increase police visibility so mag-roving and, at the same time, i-intensify ang checkpoints to hopefully deter incidents pareha atong sa Calamba,” Gujilde told reporters.

The watchlist will be released after assessment of the PNP. Authorities will identify the barangays with “intense political rivalry.”  Calamba Barangay Captain Yvonne Feliciano said she herself receives threats and she would want the police to address this concern. — /JMO (FREEMAN)