First day of COCs filing in Negros Oriental uneventful

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – The first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 2016 elections was uneventful, according to the Comelec-Negros Oriental.

Provincial Election Supervisor Eddie Aba said it was a natural occurrence that only a handful of political wannabes show up on the first day of the COC filing, as many tend to wait until the last day or even the last hour to submit their documents.

The first and lone candidate to submit his COC with the Comelec provincial office was Danilo Jimenez, a resident of Sibulan town, who is running as an independent candidate for Provincial Board member of the 2nd congressional district of Negros Oriental.

Jimenez said he was encouraged to seek election following observations, as former president of the Federated Parents, Teachers Associations, of the need to focus on the education sector. He said he does not need any party affiliation because a person can still be elected into office based on qualifications.

Two other aspirants also showed up at the Comelec provincial office on Monday: Incumbent PB Member Arnulfo “Arnie” Teves, Jr. and Samuel Torres, but the two only obtain COC forms and a list of requirements.

Teves will be running for the 3rd congressional district seat, while Torres, who has been a regular bet for governor in the past elections, said he will be seeking for a congressional seat in the 2nd district.

In Dumaguete City, the lone COC filer was lawyer Estanislao Alviola, who is running as an independent for the position of city councilor, according to City Election Officer Gildu Agoncillo.

Aba said there are 728 elective positions at stake in the province. He also urged candidates to file their COCs early to give the Comelec enough time to review the submitted documents and allow for any corrections on or before the deadline.

Meanwhile, Aba yesterday announced an expected increase in the number of registered voters for the May 2016 polls, as there is still two weeks left for voters to have their information validated or undergo their biometrics.

The Comelec official estimated that the number may reached 800,000 voters in Negros Oriental. Comelec records show that, as of last September 2015, the province has a total of 781,932 registered voters. Of this number, a total of 71,575 still do not have their biometrics yet and 390 others have incomplete biometrics data.