ILOILO City – Four candidates in the 2025 Iloilo City Council race are under scrutiny for failing to submit their Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), a legal requirement that ensures transparency and accountability in campaign financing.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Iloilo City Office identified the non-compliant candidates as Jan Dominic Barredo, Efren Gimeo, Florencio Moleta Jr., and Rommel Piad.
They missed the deadline set for filing their SOCEs, which summarize all campaign donations and expenses.
“Their names have been referred to the Commission’s Campaign Finance Office in Manila,” said Election Assistant II Jonathan Sayno. “They will receive notices and will be fined P15,000 as first-time offenders. Repeat violations will result in a P30,000 fine.”
Sayno underscored the seriousness of the offense, warning that repeated violations — specifically three or more instances — may result in perpetual disqualification from holding public office under the Omnibus Election Code.
While the candidates may submit written explanations for their failure to comply, Sayno clarified that the fines will still apply regardless of the reasons provided.
“Submitting an explanation doesn’t waive the penalty. The law is clear,” he added.
Out of the 36 individuals who ran for city council, only the four failed to submit the required documentation.
Councilor Alan Zaldivar, by contrast, was commended for being the first to submit his SOCE, setting what Sayno called “an example of prompt compliance.”
Comelec is now auditing the submitted SOCEs to verify the accuracy of reported expenses and contributions. Candidates are mandated to provide receipts and supporting documents matching their declared financial disclosures./PN
