INSTEAD of ministerial acceptance, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will tighten its screening of the certificates of candidacy (CoCs) of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) aspirants.
In a media forum in Manila, Elections spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said they are studying the possibility of automatically rejecting the certificates of candidacy of overaged SK aspirants.
“We will look into their birthdays and check with our database if it is true and correct. If we see that they are not qualified, we will no longer accept their CoCs,” said Laudiangco.
“This means that if you are over aged even by one day, we advise you not to file your CoCs anymore,” he added.
The poll official said the amendment is being proposed after thousands of CoC filers were denied in the 2018 SK polls for failing to meet the age requirements.
“In 2018, we filed more than 6,000 petition to cancel CoCs for the sole reason that they are either underaged or overaged as SK candidates,” recalled Laudiangco.
And in doing so, he said it will also spare SK bets with potential legal problems.
“It is our way of helping them as many of those involved are members of the youth. They were caught by surprise. They weren’t aware of it,” said Laudiangco.
Under Republic Act No. 10742, SK candidates must be at least 18 years old but not more than 24 years of age on the day of the elections.
On Tuesday, leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate forwarded to Malacañang the bill resetting the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections to October 2023.
Meanwhile, Laudiangco said delaying the poll exercise does not pose a threat to democracy in response to opposition to the looming postponement of the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“If it is a threat to democracy, the framers of the Constitution would not have included that very provision. I don’t think it is a threat to democracy,” he said.
Laudiangco said he believes that the opposition is mainly due to the sheer desire of the public to have the BSKE push through.
“The BSKE is a very personal issue. It is rooted in the lives and of communities that’s why emotions are running high on the matter,” said Laudiangco.
Asked if they agree with the reasons cited in moving the BSKE from December 2022 to October 2023, the poll official said it is irrelevant.
He stressed that the Comelec is mandated to follow what is provided for by law.
“We leave the political issues and discussions to the political departments of government, namely the Legislative and Executive departments of government,” said Laudiangco.
Poll watchdogs, National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) have expressed opposition to the decision of lawmakers to defer the elections to next year, saying it is against the principles of democracy.
