The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will, for the first time, publish copies of candidates’ Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) on their online platform in preparation for the upcoming May 2025 elections.
In an exclusive interview with DZRH, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia stated that publishing the COCs will help the public scrutinize the candidates they are voting for.
Garcia also mentioned that this measure is connected to the controversy involving Alice Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, who is currently facing legal cases related to her citizenship and alleged ties to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in the area.
"Lahat po ng Certificate of Candidacies ng lahat ng kandidato i-pupublish po namin, first time," said Garcia.
"So ibig sabihin, malalaman pati kung ano ‘yung background niya, saan ang sinasabi niyang address, anong edad na ba siya, siya ba ay citizen ng Pilipinas," he added.
Comelec is poised to file a misrepresentation case against Guo for alleged material misrepresentation in her Certificate of Candidacy from the May 2022 national and local elections, in which she was elected.
Garcia further explained that publishing the names does not violate any laws, as the COC form itself includes a commitment where candidates authorize Comelec to make their COCs public.
"Hindi po magviviolate ng data privacy because nirerequire ng Sec.74 ng Omnibus Election Code ‘yung mga requirements na ‘yan," Garcia explained.
"Tatanggalin lang po namin yung ibang personal information i-reredact natin para 'di magviolate like for example wala naman talaga sa batas ang email address pero may nakalagay na po sa COC ngayon," he added.
Aside from the COC, Comelec will also release each candidate's Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) on the Comelec website after the election.
The Comelec chairman said that filing the SOCE is crucial for the poll body to track the sources and uses of the funds spent by the candidates.
