MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has revised its rules regarding party-list nominees holding public office.
In Resolution No. 11065, the Comelec en banc said individuals in appointive positions who are nominated by a party-list group for the May 2025 elections must resign from their posts upon the start of the campaign period.
"Nominees holding appointive offices, including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and employees in government-owned or controlled corporations, shall be considered resigned from their office," the resolution read.
Previously, Comelec allowed nominees to remain in their posts even after accepting their party-list nomination.
However, the recent change came after a petition by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who challenged Comelec Resolution No. 11045 before the Supreme Court.
Macalintal said the 1987 Constitution prohibits civil service employees from engaging in electioneering or partisan political activity.
The filing period for Certificate of Nomination and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CON-CAN) by party-list groups is set for Oct. 1 to 8, while the campaign for national positions, including senators and party-list groups, will begin on Feb. 11, 2025.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said they are fully prepared to secure the filing of COCs for the May 2025 polls.
Maranan said at least 500 police personnel will be deployed to ensure the safety and security of both the Comelec offices and aspiring candidates during the filing period.
He added that the QCPD will be in full force once the campaign season starts next year with 3,900 cops to be deployed throughout the city.
“So far natapos natin yung ating security assessment sa lahat ng mga elected government officials here in Quezon City at wala naman tayong nakitang serious threat na banta sa buhay ng mga elected government officials (So far we have completed the security assessment for elected government officials here in Quezon City and we have not seen serious threats against government officials),” he said in a press conference on Thursday.
He said the Philippine National Police had identified police officers who have relatives running in next year's elections, especially at the local level.
The city, he said, remained under the green category, meaning political rivalry in the city is not serious. (with a report from Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
