The Commission on Elections expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the five-day filing period wherein aspirants for national and local positions in the May 2016 polls submitted their Certificates of Candidacy.
Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista said the event went on smoothly as planned. “Overall we are very pleased with the outcome. I think we were able to preserve the festive atmosphere.”
The Comelec improved the setup of the filing process by separating the venues of the filing of CoCs and the interview of aspirants with the members of the media as compared from past filing period wherein the filing and interview were conducted in one area —the Project Management Office located at the ground floor of the Comelec main office at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila.
Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said that the number of those who filed for the presidential post was a record high.
“It feels like it. I have not yet had a chance to verify. It’s likely a record breaker. If not for anything else, then for the position of President. We have 130. That’s a lot,” he said.
Ten candidates officially ran in the 2010 presidential polls, but the poll official cannot give the exact figure on the number of aspirants who filed their CoCs for the post.
Asked on what the 130 figure says about the country’s election system, he said, “I think the filing process, up to the point that it is now, should not be considered a reflection of the entire process, because this is just the first step. I think, rather, that this is a symbol or a representative of a vibrant democracy, where more people feel empowered to cast their vote, and to put themselves forward as candidates.”
There were 130 applicants for president, 19 for vice president, and 172 for senators who filed their COCs for the May 2016 elections.
The five-day filing started on Oct. 12 and ended on Oct. 16.
The poll body will come up with the final list of candidates on Dec. 10.