Bill banning withdrawals for poll bet substitution hurdles House

By Filane Mikee Cervantes, Philippine News Agency

No lawmaker voted in the negative or abstained from voting. (File Photo: House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved on the third and final reading a bill prohibiting the option to substitute candidates who withdrew from the electoral race.

During the plenary session, a total of 195 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill 10524, which seeks to amend Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code by removing withdrawal as a ground for substitution of candidates to prevent the mockery of the electoral system.

No lawmaker voted in the negative or abstained from voting.

The bill also seeks to strengthen the electoral system by including permanent incapacity as an additional ground for the substitution of candidates.

Permanent incapacity is defined under the bill as a mental or physical impairment based on a verified medical report of a licensed physician, rendering the candidate unable to perform the elected position’s duties.

“We need to include permanent incapacity as an additional ground for substitution of candidates to ensure that only those who are put in front of the public during the campaign period will be the ones to serve the people should they be elected,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said.

Aside from withdrawal, the Omnibus Election Code allows the substitution of candidates due to disqualification or death.

In May, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc approved the proposal of chairperson George Garcia to limit the period for candidates’ substitution due to withdrawal within the period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections, set on Oct. 1-8 this year.

The mid-term election is set for May 12, 2025.