Circus-like COC filing
THE Commission on Electiions (Comelec) has transferred the venue for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for those seeking national positions in next year’s balloting.
A welcome move, the transfer is aimed at ensuring the safety of candidates and poll officials and ending the traditional circus-like filing of COCs at the Comelec main office in Manila.
The eight-day filing of COCs for the May 9, 2022 presidential, senatorial and local elections is set from October 1 to 8.
In historic Intramuros, Manila, big crowds of slogan-chanting supporters, including family members and political allies, were a common sight in past filing of COCs.
Brass bands and known entertainers, like singers and clowns, even accompanied some candidates when they filed their COCs, drawing thousands of noisy supporters.
This year, however, the Comelec has set strict rules to ensure physical distancing and to prevent the filing of COCs from becoming a “superspreader” of COVID-19.
Chaired by Sheriff Abas, the poll body , in a resolution, limited the number of people accompanying candidates and requiring negative COVID-19 tests prior to filing of COCs.
Each presidential and vice presidential candidate can be accompanied by three persons, while a senatorial bet is allowed to have two supporters. A party-list representative may bring in one companion.
From its main office in Manila, the Comelec transferred the venue to an outdoor tent of Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City, which is located beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex.
In the 2016 balloting, the poll body received 534 COCs for national posts, with 130 COCs for President, 19 for Vice President, 213 for Senator and 213 for party-list representation.
