A 54-year-old college professor was the first and only aspiring candidate who filed a certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 midterm polls on the first day of filing in Davao City on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

Ramil Fernando Brucal is running for councilor in the city’s third district.

He said among his advocacies include education and scholarship programs.

“Advocacy po is scholarship, education for the young ones and at the same time sports for the, to divert the young ones from drugs,” Brucal said.

Meanwhile, in Cagayan de Oro, no one has filed a COC at the city’s first district on October 1. The city has two districts.

COMELEC urged aspirants to file their COCs early so there will be time to correct should there be errors in the documents.

“Labi na katong adunay partido naa man dapat sila CONA certificate of nomination and acceptance unya ang mga party nato usahay naay mga faction ba ma determine didto kinsa mag gyud ang authorized signatory kay kung kinsa to officially signatory mahimo tong official candidate of the party the rest mahimo silang independent candidates,” CDO First District Election Officer, Atty. Joel Dexter Nagtalon, said.

The COMELEC office in the city’s second district will only accept COCs for those running for councilors in the second district.

No one also filed a COC in Sarangani Province during the first day of the filing.

“The first time, so far, for the Province of Sarangani sa atuang provincial level wala pa tay na-receive na any COC,” Sarangani Election Officer, Atty. April Miguel, said.

Police personnel have been deployed in the different COMELEC offices across Mindanao to ensure a peaceful and orderly filing of COC.

Aspirants can file their COC until October 8, 2024.