Comelec reminds winning and losing candidates to submit their SOCE

(File photo: Avito C. Dalan/PNA)

MANILA—With less than two weeks before the June 8 deadline, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reminded winning and losing candidates in the May 9 polls to file their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, head of the Comelec– Campaign Finance Office, issued the reminder as they are not inclined to extend the deadline.

“Our deadline is on June 8. And it is non-extendible. So, if you fail to file it by that date, it’s considered not filed,” he said.

Lim noted the filing of the SOCEs is in compliance with Comelec Resolution No. 9991 or the “Omnibus Rules and Regulations Governing Campaign Finance and Disclosure.”

It would be recalled that in the 2013 polls, the Comelec en banc extended the deadline in filing the SOCE twice, with the last cut-off date being June 30, 2014.

Lim said that the submission of SOCE is not only for all winning and losing candidates but also candidates that withdrew or those that did not spend anything in the just concluded polls.

Comelec Resolution No. 9991 provides that the SOCE must contain the list of each contribution received by the candidate or party; list of every expenditure made by the candidate or party; and a list of any unpaid obligation, its nature, and amount.

At the same time, the poll official warned that incomplete SOCE, or a statement that does not contain all the required information and attachments; as well as those that do not conform to the prescribed form shall be considered as not filed with the Comelec.

Failure to submit their SOCEs will prevent winning bets from assuming the public posts they have won.

“If you assume your position, we will ask you to vacate if you have not filed your SOCEs,” Lim warned.

Failure to assume the posts is aside from the administrative fines that they will have to pay, ranging from P10,000 to P30,000 for the first offense, and P20,000 to P60,000 for the second offense depending on the elective position concerned.

On the other hand, the candidates who have complied with the poll body’s order will be issued a Certificate of Formal Compliance, which they must submit upon assumption of office, as what stated in Comelec Resolution No. 9991.