Over 850 candidates filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Bacolod City, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Despite the bad weather on Monday, August 28, the first day of filing, candidates flocked to a popular shopping mall in Bacolod City to submit their COCs.
Long queues were observed outside the mall even before the filing of COCs began at 8 a.m. The Comelec reported that a total of 853 candidates filed COCs on the first day, including 67 for barangay captain, 447 for barangay councilor, 51 for SK chairman, and 288 for SK councilor.
Among the barangays, Mandalagan had the highest number of candidates with 24 individuals vying for positions – 20 for barangay kagawad and four for barangay captain. Meanwhile, Banago and Bata barangays had 14 aspirants each for SK.
Kathrina Trinio-Caña, the city election officer, anticipated the high number of aspirants on the first day and implemented clustering to streamline and expedite the filing process. She stated that this method will help determine the most effective and systematic approach.
Three COCs were rejected, with two candidates deemed ineligible for SK due to exceeding the age limit, and another candidate having a second-degree relative who is an incumbent official. To run for SK, aspirants must be aged 18 to 24 years old by Election Day on October 30.
On the second day of filing, Caña reported that the crowd was manageable, and there were no more long lines at the mall. She advised candidates to file their COCs as early as possible to allow time for corrections.
Candidates will need to return on September 3 and 4 to verify the encoding of their names. The filing of COCs will continue until September 2, and the campaign period will run from October 19 to 28.
Candidates were also reminded by Caña not to wear T-shirts displaying their names and positions, as this would be considered premature campaigning. Additionally, she clarified that “recorida” or information campaigns are prohibited once candidates have filed their COCs. Caña emphasized that campaign posters should only be displayed in designated common poster areas.
