The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday, May 14, reminded all candidates in the May 2025 polls—both winners and losers—that they must submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) by June 11, with no extensions allowed.

In a press conference, Comelec Spokesperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco emphasized during a press briefing on May 14 that the 30-day deadline, which began on May 13, is mandated by law and cannot be altered even by the poll body itself.

“Walang extension. Malinaw ang sunod-sunod na desisyon ng Korte Suprema na walang kapangyarihan ang Comelec na baguhin ang period na 'yan dahil batas po mismo ang nagsasabi na 30 days lang po (No extension. The consecutive rulings of the Supreme Court make it clear that the COMELEC has no authority to change that period because the law itself states that it is strictly 30 days),” Laudiangco said.

He also reminded them against submitting SOCEs via email or registered mail, citing the need for physical verification of original documents, signatures, and receipts.

“Hindi po namin tatanggapin ‘yan (We won't accept those),” he said, explaining that filing of SOCEs have been made easier by submitting it to at the same location where candidates filed their Certificate of Candidacy (COC).

Laudiangco stressed that failure to file a SOCE has serious consequences, especially for winning candidates.

“Ikaw ay nanalo, hanggat hindi ka nakapag-file ng iyong SOCE kahit makapag-oath of office ka, hindi ka makapag-assume ng office mo hanggat walang pruweba na nakapag-sumite ka sa Comelec ng SOCE (You may have won, but until you file your SOCE, even if you've already taken your oath of office, you cannot assume your position unless there is proof that you have submitted your SOCE to the Comelec),” he said.

Even losing candidates are not exempt from the requirement. Laudiangco said that first-time failure to submit a SOCE will result in a fine, while a second offense leads to perpetual disqualification from running for public office.

He even cited past cases where COCs were cancelled due to repeated failure to file SOCEs.

Laudiangco said that soft copies are now required for tracking and validation to ensure that documents are not misplaced in transmittal and are properly marked upon receipt.

He also clarified rules for those who withdrew their candidacy. Candidates who withdrew before the start of the official campaign period are not required to file SOCEs. However, those who withdrew after the campaign period began are still considered official candidates and must comply.

For national candidates, the campaign period began February 11, while for local candidates it started March 28.

Comelec urged all candidates to comply promptly and completely with the SOCE requirements to avoid legal consequences and penalties.