In a press briefing, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that they have penciled in the special elections in early 2023, or about nine months since the May 2022 polls.
“We plan on holding the special elections in Cavite in February 2023,” said Garcia.
The special poll is being set for the election of the representative of the Seventh District of Cavite after it was vacated by now Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
This was after the House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring a vacancy in the Seventh District of Cavite, thereby requiring the conduct of special elections.
Garcia said they have opted to tap the automated election system for the holding of the special polls.
“We will need fewer funds if we use the automated elections and we have 90,000 voting machines to spare. There are only about 500 precincts there,” said the poll chief.
As for the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC), he said they are looking at setting it up sometime in December 2022.
If there is only one COC filer, Garcia said it will no longer require the holding of elections.
“We have the Lone Candidate law. If there is only one candidate, we can already proclaim. We will no longer need to spend in conducting the special elections,” said Garcia.
Under Republic Act No. 8295, after the deadline for the filing of the COC in a special election, when there is only one qualified candidate for such position, the lone candidate shall be proclaimed by the Comelec without holding the special elections.
In the May 2022 polls, Remulla ran for reelection unopposed under the National Unity Party. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)