MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he Commission on Elections will post online the names of barangay officials on their third and final term to shame them from running again in the coming barangay elections next month, Comelec officials said Wednesday.
Comelec commissioner Christian Robert Lim said those who will persist on seeking an illegal third term would be disqualified and then charged with perjury and committing an election offense, which is punishable by at least six years in prison.
鈥淲e are warning them so we are posting (their names). At the same time, at least the public would know who would be overstaying,鈥 Lim said in a press briefing.
鈥淭hey should be embarrassed if they file their certificate of candidacy,鈥 he added.
Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca said the Comelec had identified at least 928 barangay captains on their third terms in four regions.
She said there were 281 barangay chiefs on their last term in the National Capital Region, 275 in the Zamboanga Peninsula, 183 in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and 189 in the Davao Region.
鈥淲e also want to ask the public to help us identify because just imagine, there are 42,028 barangays (with each having) one barangay chief (and) seven kagawads,鈥 Lim said.
鈥淪o, we really need the help of the public in monitoring,鈥 he added.
Lim said election officials might accept the COCs filed by so-called third-termers but this does not mean that they can run in the elections.
鈥淎fter the filing of COCs from October 11 to 17, the election officers will prepare the list of the reported third termers who still filed their COCs. They will transmit that to the main office,鈥 Lim said.
鈥淭he main office will then decide whether to file moto propio the cancellation of the certificates of candidacy of these sitting third-termers,鈥 he added.
Lim also said that ordinary citizens or the opponents of third terms who filed COCs could also move to have them disqualified.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e a third-termer, there are issues about your eligibility and qualification. You can be disqualified and your COC canceled,鈥 he said.
Meanwhile, the Comelec said it had already printed nearly half of the 54,0951,626 ballots that would be used in the barangay elections on October 28.
As of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, 25,956,403 ballots had been printed, of which 8,534,282 pieces have been 鈥渧erified and released鈥 to the Packing and Shipping Committee.