Comelec denies COC of Seneres’ substitute

Late Overseas Filipino Workers’ Club party-list Rep. Roy Señeres (Facebook photo).

MANILA—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday junked the Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) for President of Apolonia Comia-Soguilon as the substitute candidate of the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka Workers and Peasants Party (PMM-WPP) replacing the late OFW Family Club party-list Rep. Roy Señeres.

Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista said the commission en banc denied the substitution since she is deemed not qualified for not having the same surname as provided by the rules.

“We denied the substitution of Soguilon because of their different last names,” he added.

But, the poll body chief said they can still file an appeal before the Supreme Court (SC).

“If they wish to question our actions, they are free to go to the SC,” he added.

Under Comelec rules, a substitute for a candidate, who died or is disqualified by final judgment, may file a Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) up to mid-day of Election Day provided that, the substitute and the substituted have the same surnames; and that the candidate belongs to, and is nominated by, the same political party.

Earlier, the PMM-WPP and the Señeres family had filed separate Notices of Death at the Comelec but with contrasting prayers in their respective manifestations.

The group had asked the commission to declare the slot of Señeres for the position of presidential candidate as vacant in order for the party to be able to nominate a substitute candidate.

On the other hand, the family of Señeres filed a separate notice asking the poll body to remove his name from the official list of candidates as well as in the official ballots since they will no longer field a substitute candidate.

The name of Señeres is included in the official ballots to be printed by the National Printing Office (NPO).