Antique Province Candidates Urged to Submit Election Expense Reports Before Deadline
SAN JOSE, Antique – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Antique has issued a notice to candidates who participated in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections, stressing the importance of submitting their statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) by the November 29 deadline. This call to action comes as a measure to uphold the stipulations of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, specifically in regards to campaign finance regulations.
According to Philippines News Agency, during an interview on Friday, all candidates, regardless of their election outcome or if they had withdrawn from the October 30 polls, must meet this requirement. The election supervisor highlighted that as of the moment, not a single candidate has submitted their SOCE, which is instrumental in ensuring adherence to the legal expenditure limits set for campaigns.
Villanueva also pointed out the practicality of the submission process, informing candidates that SOCE forms are readily available for download on the Comelec’s official website, or directly from their municipal election officers. She emphasized the importance of submitting machine-encoded documents rather than handwritten ones to streamline the process and avoid potential errors.
Additionally, in a statement from San Remigio town Mayor Margarito Mission, Jr., local officials were prompted to act proactively and file their SOCEs without delay. Mayor Mission, whose endorsements during the elections included 43 of the 45 barangay captains in his jurisdiction, expressed his desire for these leaders to set a positive example in compliance.
The concerted effort by both Comelec and local government officials underscores the dedication to maintaining transparency and integrity within the local electoral process. The deadline serves as a crucial checkpoint for the regulatory body to monitor and enforce campaign finance laws, essential for fair and democratic elections.