Rep. Eddie Villanueva of the CIBAC party list backed the Commission on Election (Comelec) move to ban candidacy substitution due to voluntary withdrawal after the filing of a certificate of candidacy (COC).
Earlier, Comelec chairman George Garcia, at a news conference in Iloilo, said he would propose the ban to the Comelec en banc for its approval.
“The route of candidate substitution via voluntary withdrawal has been abused. This makes a mockery of the sanctity of our election process. This needs to be rectified in order to strengthen our electoral process and restore the faith of the voters in our electoral system,” Villanueva said.
He said his group filed a bill, which seeks to amend our Omnibus Election Code by removing the option of substitution by candidate withdrawal.
“We are glad Comelec is in support of such policy direction,” the party list lawmaker added.
Villanueva’s House Bill (HB) 5692 seeks to modify the grounds for substitution of candidates by amending Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Under the law, “an official candidate of a political party may be replaced by another person if the candidate dies, withdraws, or is disqualified for any cause after the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COC).
“Of the three grounds for the substitution of the candidate, withdrawal of candidacy has been the most abused every national election,” according to the bill’s explanatory note.
HB 5692 wants to end this abuse “by removing the option of substitution in cases where the candidate of a political party withdraws from his or her candidacy.”
“This bill also adds incapacity as a ground for substitution of candidates of political parties. These changes will not only strengthen the electoral process, but will also restore the faith of the voters in the election system,” Villanueva said in his proposed legislation.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Party-list lawmaker supports Comelec move to ban candidate substitution via voluntary withdrawal