ILOILO – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Region 6 is still waiting for the specific guidelines from its central office on the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) by those seeking local elective posts in the May 2022 polls.
Last week, Comelec issued Resolution No. 10717 requiring aspirants for President, Vice President and Senator to undergo reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test or antigen test 24 hours prior to COC filing and be negative for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Atty. Tomas Valera, assistant regional director of Comelec-6, they have not yet received a directive on whether the regional office should also impose these requirements to aspirants for local positions (governor, vice governor, congressman, provincial board member, mayor, vice mayor, and Sangguniang Bayan member).
The COC filing would be on Oct. 1 to Oct. 8 this year.
The RT-PCR or antigen test shall also be required from the following:
* authorized representative of the aspirants
* Chairperson, President, Secretary-General or authorized representative of the political party (PP), sectoral party, organization or coalition for the party-list system
* companions of the aspirants and representative of the political party, sectoral party, organization or Coalition for the party-list system, if any
* personnel of the Commission in charge of receiving COCs / Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA; the organic security force personnel of the Commission; Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police
* all media personnel covering the event
According to Valera, they could not implement this “kon wala sila (central office) sang directive.”
However, Valera believed the RT-PCR test policy for national candidates would be rocked with questions because the 1987 Constitution has already laid down the basic requirements for aspirants for elective posts.
“You cannot (add more) by a mere resolution,” said Valera.
Under the 1987 Constitution, candidates for President, Vice President, Senator, and members of the House of Representatives must be:
* a natural-born citizen of the Philippines
* a registered voter (in the case of district representatives, registered in the district where he or she will run)
* able to read and write
Valera sees another problem with the RT-PCR requirement. “Ang sa malayo nga lugar ma-deretso pa sa syudad para magpa-RT-PCR test. You will expose yourself sa virus kon sagi ka pa lagaw,” he said.
LOCAL POLITICIANS REACT
Vice Gov. John Edward Gando of Guimaras said the Comelec should consider first the physical setting of their respective election offices, particularly those in rural areas.
“For example diri sa amon sa Guimaras, ang amon ‘ya nga opisina diri ari man ‘ya nahamtang sa isa ka matawhay nga lugar kag medyo malapad-lapad kag ang mga candidates usually are not that many compared sa central office kon mag-filing na sang senator (there is crowding),” said Gando in an interview with Panay News.
Citing past practices, Gando also said aspirants merely fill up the form in an open space and only enter the Comelec office when they submit the COC.
“So ang gwa ya ‘na the time element (in COC filing) being utilized by candidates is so short that requiring RT-PCR test would be very impractical,” said Gando.
On the other hand, Provincial Board member Renee Valencia of the 1st District of Iloilo said she is against RT-PCR test as an additional requirement for COC filing.
“Nadumdoman mo there was a time may ara requirement sa drug test… pero gindula ina sia kay may ara kita prescribed qualifications mag-run kag mag-file (COC). Indi na naton sia madugangan kag mabuhinan,” Valencia told Panay News.
For his part, Provincial Board member June Mondejar of the 2nd District of Iloilo said Comelec should first study if the said policy is applicable to local candidates.
“Puede man nga ma-control sang Comelec like isa-isa file para indi magdungan kag ma-obserbar sang insakto ang social distancing,” Mondejar said./PN
