10-10-10 a lucky day? Candidates flood poll office

CEBU, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Cebu City was swarmed by candidates who wanted to file their certificates of candidacy (COC) yesterday, believing that yesterday's 10-10-10 was a "lucky day."

The Cebu City North District received more than 140 certificates of candidacy, compared to their usual five to 15 candidates a day since the schedule of filing of COCs started.

"We already expected that many applicants will file today because of 10-10-10, the other applicants synchronized their filing of their certificates of candidacy at 10:00 a.m. because they said it's lucky," said Attorney Marchel Sarno, Cebu City North District Election Officer.

Sarno, however, said the filing of the COCs was orderly despite the crowd.

Meanwhile at the Cebu City South District, there were more than 200 who filed their COCs.

The deadline of filing of COCs for the October 25- barangay and youth elections is midnight of October 13, 2010.

Lawyer Edwin Cadungog, Cebu City South District Election Officer, said that they are ready for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections and they are on the process of preparing the ballot boxes to be used during elections.

Cadungog said that they are now sorting the schedule of seminars for those who will serve as Board of Election Inspector (BEI).

"Maybe third week of this month we will have the seminar for the BEI. We are just waiting for the mandate from the COMELEC-Manila when to start to conduct seminars," Cadungog said.

He furthered stated that most seats are hotly contested.

"Grabe kainit ang piniliay sa barangay kay kasagaran sa mga manglangsad kay mga kaila ra," he said. - Mylen P. Manto and Sanden J. Anadia of Banat News/JPM (FREEMAN)