Bacolod city: The Commission on Elections – Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) has issued a warning to individuals intending to run in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) about the consequences of submitting inaccurate information in their certificates of candidacy (COC).
According to Philippines News Agency, Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the director of Comelec-NIR, emphasized that inaccuracies in the COC would be considered “material misrepresentation.” Castillano stated, “Since that COC is sworn, any false statement made there would be a serious misrepresentation and regarded as an election offense.”
This warning follows a recent decision by Comelec to pursue criminal charges against an individual in Bacong, Negros Oriental, who allegedly misrepresented himself in the 2018 BSKE. An investigation initiated by an electoral protest revealed that the individual had filed a COC for a barangay position despite not being a registered voter-a requirement mandated by election law for candidacy.
When questioned about why the election officer in Bacong accepted the individual’s COC without verifying voter registration status, Castillano explained that the Comelec’s role was largely ministerial at the time, focusing on receiving COCs and related documents. However, he clarified that the process has since been revised. “The Comelec will now guarantee that candidates seeking elective posts must first be registered voters before their COC is accepted,” Castillano said.