27 disqualified brgy, SK poll candidates win

ILOILO City – Twenty-seven candidates who won in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) synchronized elections on Monday were actually disqualified from joining the polls.

So they won’t be proclaimed winners and they could not assume office, said Atty. Tomas Valera, acting regional director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Western Visayas.

Of the 27 candidates, one won as barangay captain, eight won as SK chairpersons and 18 won as SK councilors.

Though he was unsure why the winning barangay captain was disqualified, Valera said those in the SK were overaged.

Under the law, candidates vying for SK posts must only be between 18 and 24 years old.

The victorious but disqualified barangay captain was from Aklan province, said Valera. He did not identify the candidate.

Here’s the breakdown of the disqualified SK winners:

* Aklan – two SK chairpersons, three SK councilors

* Capiz – two SK chairpersons, four SK councilors

* Guimaras – one SK chairperson, four SK councilors

* Iloilo – two SK chairpersons, four SK councilors

* Negros Occidental – one SK chairperson, three SK councilors

In Manila, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body could not stop overaged SK candidates from filing their certificates of candidacy as the law required the Commission to perform a “ministerial function” during the filing of election documents.

“Accepting the certificate of candidacy is ministerial for the Comelec, meaning if someone gives you a certificate of candidacy regardless of the irregularities, you have to accept it,” said Jimenez.

Under the law, SK candidates must be:

* Filipino citizen

* resident of barangay for one year before election day

* able to read and write in Filipino, English, or local language

* aged 18 to 24 on election day

* per anti-dynasty law, no relation by blood or marriage within the second civil degree to incumbent officials

* no conviction of moral turpitude charges/PN

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