MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will file petitions to declare more than 100 people who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for president, vice president and senators as nuisance candidates.
At a press briefing, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body has until today to file the petitions with the poll body’s Law Department.
One hundred thirty filed their COCs for president, 19 for vice president and 172 for senators.
Bautista said it was “ministerial” for the Comelec to receive the COCs and screen them for their qualifications.
The Comelec can file motu propio cases to declare a candidate a nuisance if they “put the election process in mockery or disrepute… cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates, or who by other acts or circumstances clearly demonstrated to have no bona fide intention to run for public office.”
Bautista assured the public that concerned candidates would be given the opportunity to be heard.
“It is imperative that we provide due process to these candidates,” he said.