Marilyn Cahatol

Comelec: Disqualification cases vs candidates may be resolved ‘til June 30

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Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174684810255520220704-comelec-voters-registration-md-15.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Comelec: Disqualification cases vs candidates may be resolved ‘til June 30"/></div><p>MANILA — The Commission on Elections has until June 30 to resolve disqualification petitions, with its chairman George Garcia saying its Task Force Baklas filed cases against 50 candidates over campaign posters and materials.</p><p>The Comelec set rules on the maximum size for materials posted in public and where these could be put up. The commission cannot order the removal of campaign materials on private property.</p><p>“Sinusulatan na lang namin sila na tanggalin ang campaign materials. Ito ang ginawa namin tatlong beses, apat na beses na namin sinabi na pakitanggal naman. Hindi pa rin sumunod kaya napilitan na ang task force na mag-file ng kasong disqualification,” he said.</p><p>(We wrote to them to remove the campaign materials. We did that three, four times. They did not comply so the task force was forced to file disqualification cases)</p><p>These cases are already being raffled to different Comelec divisions.</p><p>Garcia clarified that the filing of a disqualification case does not mean the automatic disqualification of a candidate.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/24/comelec-questions-20-more-candidates-over-vote-buying-allegations-2123">Comelec questions 20 more candidates over vote-buying allegations</a></div><p>They will weigh the petition, he said, based on the merits and pieces of evidence available.</p><p>“Dapat mabigat ang ebidensya at may merit ang kaso,” he said.</p><p>(There has to be strong evidence, and the case should have merit)</p><p>The poll chief said he expects more disqualification petitions from the public on election day.</p><p>“Sa national position, kahit hindi namin madesisyunan kaagad diyan, maaaring ma-proclaim sila, mag-oath sila, magpanumpa, eh diba congressman ka pa lang, pagdating sa June 30,” he said.</p><p>(For national positions, even if we do not come out with a decision immediately — they may be proclaimed and they may have taken their oath already — but you will only be a congressman on June 30, right?)</p><p>He said the Comelec will retain jurisdiction of cases until then.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/8/comelec-disqualifies-pasig-bet-christian-sia-0956">Comelec division disqualifies Pasig bet Christian Sia</a></div><p>Comelec earlier said it has the power to suspend the proclamation of winning candidates in the midterm elections if they have pending disqualification cases regardless of grounds.</p><p>Garcia said this covers grounds arising from issues on the candidate’s campaign rallies and other election offenses.</p><p>Disputes over national positions will be handled by Electoral Tribunals at the House of Representatives and Senate.</p><p>A Presidential Electoral Tribunal would handle electoral cases involving the president and vice president.</p><div><strong>COMELEC SAYS READY FOR HALALAN</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Garcia assured the public that the poll body is fully ready for the conduct of the midterm polls as they prepared for contingency measures early on.</p><p>“Bagamat gusto na naming sabihin na 100 percent ready talaga, kahit naman ngayon nararamdaman na parang relaxed atmosphere kung ikukumpara sa nakaraang halalan. Talaga namang hindi malaman, nagkakandarapa,” he said.</p><p>“Napakaimportante ng planned ahead. Therefore, kahit may kaunting dipirensya man, may sufficient time, pwedeng gawan ng paraan,” he said.</p><p>He said they are 100 percent ready in terms of final testing and sealing.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/5/comelec-all-systems-go-for-halalan-2025-1841">Comelec: All systems go for Halalan 2025</a></div><p>“Kapag na-final test na at na-seal na ang makina, ang ibig sabihin niyan ready na ang makina na gagamitin pagdating ng araw ng Lunes,” he said.</p><p>The Comelec chief was also confident that the elections would be conducted peacefully, noting that not all violent incidents since late last year were election-related.</p><p>“Sana ma-distinguish natin. So far, so good. As of kahapon, 40 ang election-related incidents na na-record simula ng October. &#x27;Yan ay &#x27;di hamak na napakababa kumpara noong 2019 and 2022 na mahigit 100 ang election-related incidents,” he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m8n6p7VJq7Y?si=piWxiuo0gVGBWzKy" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Pending disqualification petitions may be resolved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) until June 30.</p>

Pending disqualification petitions may be resolved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) until June 30.