Over 1 million file COCs for barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan polls

MANILA, Philippines — Over a million aspirants have filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez reported yesterday that the poll body received a total of 1,140,987 COCs as of the last day of filing.

Jimenez said the number of COCs filed could still increase since the latest figures came only from 1,625 out of the 1,633 cities and municipalities nationwide.

According to Jimenez, the figure reflected only the number of COCs filed and not the official candidates yet.

Of the figure, Jimenez said, 722,081 COCs were filed for the barangay elections while 418,906 were submitted for the SK polls.

He said that 87,127 are running for barangay captain while 634,954 want to become village council members or kagawad.

For the youth councils, 83,127 bets want to become chairman while 335,779 are running for kagawad.

A majority or 759,077 of those who filed their COCs were males. Female aspirants accounted only for 381,910.

According to Jimenez, the data came from 1,625 cities and municipalities
nationwide. The filing of COCs started last April 14 and ended on April 20.

The Comelec also reported that it is set to come out on Friday with the list of areas to be placed under control of the commission during the barangay and SK elections.

“We are now in the process of determining the areas to be placed under Comelec control and will come out with a list by Friday,” said acting Comelec Chairman Al Parreño.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) had earlier identified 7,544 election hot spots in the country.

Parreño said the high number of election hot spots is not surprising since the figure is commonly high during barangay elections because the candidates reside in the same area.

“During barangay elections, usually there are more incidents being monitored,” the poll official said.

For this reason, the Comelec asked the PNP to strictly implement checkpoints in accordance with the poll body’s guidelines and protocols.

He said the Comelec is also set to discuss the procedures in the declaration of Comelec controlled areas.

With the barangay and SK polls just a few weeks away, the Comelec sought the appointment of two more commissioners to fill the remaining vacancies in the poll body.

Parreño said the agency hopes President Duterte will fill the remaining vacancies after the appointment of retired Court of Appeals (CA) associate justice Socorro Inting as new poll commissioner. Inting is scheduled to assume her post in early May.

“Of course we would want a complete en banc,” Parreño said, noting that it would greatly help if the seven-man commission will have full membership before the May 14 elections.

He said the work will be much easier if all the seats in the commission are filled.

The President earlier appointed Inting to replace retired commissioner Arthur Lim. – With Romina Cabrera, Eva Visperas