The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expected to tackle on Wednesday, Jan. 5, the petition of PDP-Laban seeking to re-open the period of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the May 2022 polls.
"It is very likely that it will be taken up by the en banc tomorrow," Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said in a virtual press briefing Tuesday, Jan. 4.
"The en banc will make the determination whether or not that's something they would like to allow. At this point the referral to the Commission en banc is being prepared," he added.
The PDP-Laban wing of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi filed the petition on Dec. 31.
The party said the Comelec should re-open the filing of COCs and not proceed with printing of ballots while several cases affecting candidates and party-lists are still pending.
As to the petition of the Coalition for Life and Democracy (CLD) seeking to suspend the upcoming polls due to the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Jimenez said this might also be included.
"I have not seen it included in the agenda but I can assume that it might be included tomorrow. For now, there's no information it being included in the agenda," he said.
But the poll official said that they do not see any reason to postpone the elections.
"It's not going to happen because if you want to postpone the elections, then what you are really wanting to do is to ignore the Constitution," said Jimenez.
"If you are saying the Constitution should be ignored simply because you want to stay in power, then you have a big big problem," he added.
Still, Jimenez said they are not surprised with the filing of such petitions.
"Of course they would like that to happen. We have been warning on this from the very beginning," he said.
Hours before, the members of CLD filed another motion asking the poll body to set their petition for early hearing.