92 Cebu candidates fail to submit SOCE

CEBU, Philippines — A total of 92 candidates in Cebu Province failed to submit their Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) by the June 11 deadline and can no longer file them locally, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu Provincial Office.

Based on Comelec’s latest submission report, 1,269 candidates ran in Cebu Province and its highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the last elections. As of Thursday, only 1,177 candidates have submitted their SOCEs.

While no list of names has been released, the Comelec disclosed that of the remaining 92, two are provincial candidates and seven are from HUCs. Another two are from component cities, while the remaining 80 are spread across various towns in the province.

In a phone interview with The Freeman, Comelec Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Marchel Sarno said they have yet to confirm whether these candidates won or not.

However, Sarno reiterated that these candidates can no longer file their SOCEs in the provincial office.

 “Sa amoang end, dili na mi modawat," he stressed.

In an earlier report by The Freeman, Comelec-7 Chief Atty. Francisco Pobe emphasized that all candidates, whether they won or not, must file a SOCE.

Exemptions only apply to those who officially withdrew their candidacy before the campaign period began.

Pobe said SOCEs are “otherwise known as liquidation papers” that candidates submit to Comelec to track whether they spent within the limits set by law for political campaigns.

In a separate phone interview, he explained that campaign expenses—such as those for rallies, posters, and sample ballots—must be liquidated to ensure compliance with the allowed spending cap of P3 per voter at the local level.

Pobe also stressed that failure to file a SOCE violates several legal provisions, specifically Comelec Resolution No. 9991 or the Omnibus Rules and Regulations Governing Campaign Finance and Disclosure.

Further, Section 14 of Republic Act No. 7166 requires every candidate and party treasurer to file their SOCE within 30 days after the election. The law also prohibits any elected official from assuming office until their SOCE has been filed.

Under the same law, failure to file a SOCE may result in administrative charges, which are punishable by fines and, in some cases, perpetual disqualification from holding public office. The severity of the penalty depends on the position sought and the number of prior offenses.

Pobe echoed Sarno’s statement, saying that those who failed to submit on time can no longer do so in local Comelec offices.

“Sa amo-a locally, dili na mi modawat. Adto nana nila i-submit sa Manila,” said Pobe, although he expressed uncertainty over whether the central office would still accept the late submissions.

From June 6 to June 11—the final week for submissions—Comelec recorded 690 SOCE filings, the highest number submitted in a single week since May 13. This figure is more than half of the total filings from May 30 to June 5. — Reynan Monleon, ATO (CEBU NEWS)