The Commission on Elections (Comelec) En Banc has approved a measure that will allow them to conduct an initial screening of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) aspirants.
"The Commission en banc forged into policy and agreement of conducting a pre-evaluation of COCs, particularly that of candidates for Sangguniang Kabataan, and refusing receipt thereof from aspirants who are already more than twenty-four (24) years old on the day of the elections," Comelec Spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said in a statement late Wednesday, Oct. 5.
In a separate statement issued by Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Thursday, Oct. 6, he said that Comelec is bent to refuse to accept COCs of over-aged SK aspirants.
"This is to prevent the filing of numerous petitions for cancellation and disqualification as experienced by the poll body during the last SK election," he said in a statement.
This is based on the ruling of the Supreme Court in the Garvida Case, wherein it was held that an aspirant who is more than 24 years old, even for a day, is not qualified to run for any position in the SK elections.
With this, there will no longer be a need to file thousands of motu proprio Petitions to Cancel/Deny Due Course to COC for overage aspirants and save the young applicants from the trauma of facing suits.
During the last SK elections held on May 14, 2018, Comelec received more than 6,000 petitions for cancellation and disqualification related to over-aged candidates.
According to Republic Act No. 10742, SK candidates must be at least 18 years but not more than 24 years of age on the day of the elections.