MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is striving to address all cases of disqualification and cancellation of candidacy related to candidates for national positions and legislative districts prior to June 30.
According to Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia, the poll body is taking time to resolve all disqualification cases as there are around thousands of pending cases.
“Yung tungkol sa disqualification cases, cancellation of candidacy involving national positions tulad ng senador, party-list, at legislative district, ang timeline natin, bago mag-June 30, dapat ma-resolve namin,” Garcia said in an interview on DZBB.
“Medyo napakadami po ang mga tinatanggap nating disqualification case, mga pending na kaso na nire-resolve natin,” he added. “Asahan na sa mga susunod na araw, may mga ilalabas pa tayong desisyon.”
The Comelec chair also said that even if a candidate has been proclaimed already or lost in the polls, the Comelec will still issue a decision.
“Ang isang kasong disqualification ay may dalawang mukha. Puwedeng disqualification case na pagtatanggal na kandidato o election offense o kasong kriminal. Maaaring makaligtas sila sa disqualification pero hindi sila makakaligtas sa election offense,” Garcia said.
Meanwhile, as for election protests, Garcia stated that Comelec’s jurisdiction only covers local positions such as “governor, vice governor, sangguniang panlalawigan, city mayor, city vice mayor, at sangguniang panlungsod.”
“Yung election protests, hanggang kahapon, dumagsa ‘yung pagpa-file ng kaso sa amin. ‘Yung 10-day period to file protest, mandatory period ‘yun. Walang extension,” Garcia said./PN
