MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has postponed the upcoming Barangay Elections in Bohol to give residents ample time to prepare for the polls following the devastating October 15 earthquake that hit the province.
The Comelec has reset the election period in Bohol to October 26-December 10 and the campaign period to November 15-November 23. The order also set October 28 and 29 as additional dates for the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) exclusively in said province to compensate for the days where the operation of the local Comelec offices was disrupted by the earthquake. The rest of the country will conduct the polls on October 28 as scheduled.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said: “The postponement will secure to the full extent the safety of the electorate by allowing the local government units (LGUs) concerned enough time to thoroughly inspect the structural integrity of the school buildings in the province, the effect and/or prejudice in the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts, the geological condition in Bohol and the need to afford the people in Bohol ample time to rebuild their homes and normalize their lives.”
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor on October 15 has killed 185 people, according to officials. Most of the fatalities were reported in Bohol. The quake displaced 370,000 people in various towns of the province. Bohol candidates were also given until December 26 to file their sworn Statements of Election Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
