EVERYONE who filed certificates of candidacies for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections last May 14, and failed to file their respective Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) before the June 13 deadline are directed to file these at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Campaign Finance Office, no longer in field offices in the province.

This was the directive of Marino Salas, Comelec provincial officer. “File your SOCE in Comelec Manila, not anymore in our local offices,” he said.

He reminded winners who fail to file their SOCEs cannot assume their elective posts even if they have already taken their oaths of office.

At the same time, he warned that non-filing of SOCEs for two consecutive elections is a ground for perpetual disqualification to run for public office.

Salas said there have been individuals in Pangasinan who were perpetually disqualified to run for public office for failure to file their SOCEs. He, however, did not mention their names but the list of those disqualified are with the municipal or city election officers.

“Win, lose, withdraw, everyone who filed their COCs must file their SOCEs,” Salas said.

So far, only 50 percent of the candidates have filed their SOCEs.  (Eva Visperas)

 

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