ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to impose penalties — including potential disqualification from holding public office — on candidates in Western Visayas who failed to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) following the May 12, 2025, midterm elections.
Election offices in Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Antique, and Capiz have identified candidates — both winners and non-winners — who missed the June 11 deadline, a direct violation of Section 14 of Republic Act No. 7166 which mandates the submission of SOCE within 30 days after the elections.
In Iloilo City, four non-filers were named.
In Iloilo Province, the list includes a vice gubernatorial aspirant, two congressional candidates and a Provincial Board member candidate.
Comelec-Antique confirmed that a gubernatorial candidate and four Provincial Board member aspirants all failed to meet the requirement.
In Capiz, Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Salud Milagros Villanueva reported 15 non-compliant candidates out of 370 local contenders.
“These candidates will receive letters asking them to explain their failure to comply,” said Iloilo City Election Assistant II Jonathan Sayno, adding that first-time offenders will face fines based on the positions they ran for. “Repeat violations could lead to perpetual disqualification from holding public office.”
Villanueva emphasized that winners “are precluded from assuming their official positions until they have submitted their SOCE, even if they’ve already taken their oath.”
Meanwhile, Antique Election Supervisor Wil Arceño said verification is ongoing to determine if any of the five flagged candidates are repeat offenders — an aggravating factor that could elevate penalties or trigger disqualification proceedings.
Comelec Provincial Supervisor for Iloilo, Atty. Reinier Layson, clarified that “even non-winners are not exempt. Filing the SOCE is a legal obligation regardless of election results.”
Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department is now reviewing the lists of violators submitted by regional offices and will issue official notifications to affected candidates.
The SOCE requirement is a cornerstone of election transparency, enabling the poll body to audit campaign spending and uphold fairness in electoral contests. Under existing rules, failure to comply carries not just monetary penalties but the real risk of losing one’s mandate or future eligibility to serve./PN
