TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) through the Provincial Election Office here will hold “special elections” for the representative of the 7th district of Cavite on February 25, 2023.

Based on the Comelec Resolution no. 10848, promulgated on October 5, 2022, headed by Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the said released calendar of activities from confirmation of the electoral board, municipal and city board of canvassers and the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBoCs) on December 3, 2022.

The filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) of the member of the House of Representatives, 7th Legislative District of Cavite, is on December 5 to 6, 2022, at the Office of the Provincial Election Supervisor under Atty. Mico Morales-Castro at 2nd floor, Bahay Sanayan Building, Capitol Compound, Barangay San Agustin, Trece Martires City.

The election period in the said district, which includes Amadeo, Tanza, Indang, and Trece Martires City, will start on January 26, 2023.

This will include the implementation of the total gun ban, illegal release of prisoners before the election, use of security personnel or bodyguards, transfer of detail personnel in the civil services, including public school teachers, suspension of any elective provincial officials or barangay officers, raising funds through lotteries and cockfighting.

The campaign period will be from January 26 to February 23, 2023, and the election day will be February 25, 2023.

According to Chairman Garcia, the special election will be automated since it is relatively cheaper when using 90,000 vote-counting machines for merely 500 precincts. He said each precinct can have at least ten voting machines.

Newly-registered voters, however, will not be allowed to participate yet in the said polls since the Election Registration Board (ERB) has not yet approved applications of new voters by that time.

As for the filing of CoCs, Garcia said that if only one candidate files, they will immediately proclaim him or her in accordance with the law.

Under Republic Act (RA) 8295, after the deadline for filing the CoC in a special election, when there is only one qualified candidate for such a position, the lone candidate shall be proclaimed by the Comelec without holding the special elections.

In July, Cavite’s 7th district congressional seat became “vacant” after then-reelected Representative Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, who was elected in the May 9 polls, was appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as Justice secretary.

The chamber, through Resolution No. 100 dated July 27, officially declared the position vacant and called on the Comelec to fill the vacancy through a special election.

The Comelec en banc has designated Commissioner Marlon Casquejo as the one in charge of the special elections in Cavite.

Remulla, ran unopposed and won his second term as congressman of the said district, who garnered 202,784 votes before he was tapped to head the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In the four corners of the district, the incumbent Cavite 7th District Board Member Crispin Diego “Ping” Remulla, one of the sons of the DOJ chief, is slated to run as representative of the said district.

The provincial Comelec office also reminded that it is not connected with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.