Comelec to post all COCs online ahead of 2025 polls

MANILA, Philippines — All certificates of candidacy filed by electoral aspirants for next year's polls will be published by the Commission on Elections on its website, the poll body's chairperson said on Tuesday, September 24. 

Individuals vying for posts in the 2025 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will also have their COCs bared to the public, Comelec Chair George Garcia added.

"We will release it to the public so that the public can know who you are, if you are qualified and if you are a citizen of the country," the Comelec chairperson said in mixed Filipino and English during an ambush interview.

Candidates' personal data will be redacted from the COCs before being published online.

Garcia earlier recommended posting all COCs for the 2025 midterm elections online to allow the public to scrutinize candidates' information and hold the aspirants accountable for the information they submit to the poll body.

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo is facing material misrepresentation charges from the Comelec after the poll body's preliminary investigation found inconsistencies in the information on her COC when she ran for mayor in 2022. 

The complaint originated from an earlier fact-finding investigation into Guo's mayoral candidacy, which the poll body's law department said may violate Section 74 in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code.

According to Section 74, a candidate must use their baptismal name or if not baptized, the name registered with the local civil registrar, unless they have legally changed their name through a court-approved process.

Guo maintains that she did not commit misrepresentation and has sought to junk the election offense case against her. 

Garcia said Guo is not being singled out as "at least five former candidates" are also facing possible misrepresentation charges.

COC filing next week

The filing of COCs for next year's elections will be held from October 1 to 8.

Aspirants for senatorial posts and those gunning to be party-list representatives can file their COC at the Manila Hotel. 

Meanwhile, aspiring district representatives and those eyeing local posts can file their COC at local Comelec offices. 

— Cristina Chi