The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the poll body can cancel the Certificates of Candidacy (CoC) of political aspirants with pending disqualification cases.

In a resolution sent to DAILY TRIBUNE by Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, it said that under either Section 12 or Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code, or under Section 40 of the Local Government Code, the poll body has a legal duty to cancel the CoC of anyone facing the accessory penalty of perpetual special disqualification to run for public office.

This after Garcia was asked if former Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog would still be eligible to file a CoC between 1 and 8 October.

Mabilog’s appeal to reactivate his voting rights remains pending as the Election Registration Board prepares to deliberate on the matter in a hearing set for 12 October.

The former mayor returned to the country on 10 September after fleeing to the United States seven years ago, allegedly due to threats to his life and for the safety of his family.

Narco pol

This after then president Rodrigo Duterte labeled him a “narco politician,” a claim that was never proven.

Duterte threatened to add Mabilog to the list of high-profile drug suspects that were killed by the authorities.

In 2023, the Office of Ombudsman filed graft charges against Mabilog and councilor Plaridel Nava II before the Sandiganbayan over their alleged intervention in the awarding of a government contract to a towing firm where they had an interest.

Mabilog posted bail on 11 September for the graft charge against him.

Nava, in a Facebook post, said Mabilog could not run for any position after he was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Nava said he went to the Office of the Ombudsman in Cebu City to secure a certified copy of the perpetual disqualification order against Mabilog in the corruption case filed against him for allegedly interfering in the awarding of a towing services contract in which he had a vested interest.