Filing of Certificates of Candidacy moved to October 11-18

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections has announced that the filing of candidacy documents for the local and national elections in May 2019 has been rescheduled.

Spokesperson James Jimenez announced that the Comelec en banc has authorized the rescheduling of the filing to October 11 to 18, excluding Saturday and Sunday.

"On the last day, there will be no extension of filing hours. Please be advised," Jimenez said on Twitter.

The original schedule for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the forthcoming midterm elections was supposed to be from October 1 to 5.

Postponement sought to allow lawmakers to focus on work

The announcement came after Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called on the poll body to delay the filing of COCs due to the ongoing sessions in Congress until October 12.

Arroyo and House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. endorsed Concurrent Resolution 20, which sought to postpone the filing of COCs before the Comelec.

“To enable members of Congress to fully attend to their legislative duties and meet the deadline for the filing of COCs, it is imperative to reset the period for the filing of COCs at a later date,” the resolution read.

The Senate also adopted the resolution on Monday upon the introduction of Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.

The resolution pointed out that the legislative calendar for the 17th Congress states that it should hold its session on from August 28 to October 12 and adjourn on October 12 to November 11.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are deliberating on the proposed 2019 national budget at the moment, as well as other priority measures. — Patricia Lourdes Viray