‘DO NOT WAIT FOR DEADLINE’ | Comelec-Bacolod urges candidates to file Soce

Bacolod City Election Officer lawyer Kathrina Trinio-Caña urged all the candidates for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to file their statements of election contributions and expenditures (Soce) within 30 days after the BSKE.

Trinio-Caña said Thursday, November 9, that as of November 6, only one candidate filed a Soce and it’s from Barangay Handumanan, captain-elect Ma. Febe Legaspi.

She said all candidates, both winners and losers, should submit their Soce at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office, adding that the deadline for the filing of Soce will be on November 29.

“They should not wait for the deadline of the filing of Soce, they can file it earlier here at the office anytime,” Trinio-Caña said.

Trinio-Caña explained that the candidates should file their Soce to avoid penalty from the Comelec.

“Once they have failed to file Soce, the Comelec will send them a notice,” Trinio-Caña said.

Soce is a comprehensive report about the campaign contributions and expenditures of the barangay and SK candidates.

Moreover, Trinio-Caña said the assumption of office of all election barangay and SK officials will also depend on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Ma. Joy Maredeth Madayag, head of the DILG-Bacolod, earlier said all elected barangay and SK officials will assume their posts after their oathtaking on November 10.

All elected barangay and SK officials will have a mass oath-taking at SMX Convention Center on Friday, November 10, at 6 p.m.

The mass oath-taking will be led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.*