Elected Officials in May 2016 Polls Cannot Assume Office Without SOCEs — Comelec

(PNA) — In case they win in the 2016 polls, elected officials might not be able to assume office until they were able to file their respective Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs) one month after Election Day.

This as, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is bent on strictly imposing the campaign finance laws, including its provision not to allow winning candidates to assume their posts if they fail to file their SOCEs on June 8, 2016.

“The 2013 was experimental that for the first time, the Comelec became strict with campaign finance. Now that they know we will strictly enforce campaign finance, there (is) no reason anymore (to be lenient),” said Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim in an interview.

The commissioner-in-charge of the Comelec – Campaign Finance Unit (CFU) noted that they will not allow winning candidates to report to office if they failed to file their SOCE within the deadline.

“Even if you won, you cannot take the seat,” Lim added.

Republic Act 7166 provides that “no person elected to any public office shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures”.

He noted that the Comelec is also not keen on extending the deadline, which is 30 days after the elections.

“The deadline of June 8 is already final and non-extendible. No more late filing plus penalty. Either you file it or not,” Lim said.

In the 2013 polls, the poll body extended the deadline for filing of SOCE a number of times, with the final one set on June 30, 2014, or more than a year after the 2013 midterm polls.

The SOCE is a document that shows the candidate’s full, true, and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the elections. (PNA) RMA/FGP/EDS