Comelec: COC filing period 'generally peaceful'

The week-long filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 May elections was “generally peaceful,” according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

However, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said there was an incident of “COC snatching” in Negros Oriental.

“Generally peaceful. ‘Yung isang insidente sa isang bayan ay hindi reflection nang kabuuan ng filing period,” Garcia told reporters in a media briefing Wednesday. 

(The COC filing was generally peaceful. Once incident is not a reflection of the whole filing period.)

However, However, the Philippine National Police earlier confirmed that 1 person died in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao del Sur on the last day of the COC filing.

The period of the COC filing ran from October 1 to October 8, 2024, concluding with a total of 183 senatorial bets and 155 party-lists formalizing their bids for the 2025 polls. 

A total of 18,280 were up for grabs for the national and local elections next year. 

The poll body is eyeing to post all COCs on the Comelec website in two weeks' time and to resolve all nuisance cases by November 30, Garcia added. 

The Philippines will hold its midterm elections in May 2025.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News