Comelec until June 30 for 50 disqualification cases, Task Force Baklas files

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has until June 30 to resolve disqualification petitions, with its chairman George Garcia stating that Task Force Baklas filed cases against 50 candidates for violating campaign material rules.

Garcia explained that the Comelec wrote multiple letters asking candidates to remove illegal campaign materials but had to file disqualification cases when compliance was lacking.

Comelec divisions are already raffling these cases, and Garcia clarified that filing a disqualification case does not automatically mean a candidate will be disqualified.

The poll chief expects more disqualification petitions on election day and emphasized the importance of strong evidence for such cases.

Garcia assured the public that Comelec is fully prepared for the midterm elections, having implemented early contingency measures and conducted final testing of equipment.

He noted that while there have been some incidents since late last year, only 40 were election-related, significantly fewer compared to previous years.