• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the deadline for the filing of Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) for candidates of the May 12 elections ended June 11, the Commission on Elections reported that 75 in Negros Occidental have failed to make the deadline.
According to a report from the Comelec provincial office, 703 of the 778 candidates in Negros Occidental were able to file their SOCE before the deadline.
Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec regional director for Negros Island Region, however, said that all the winning candidates for NIR managed to file their respective SOCEs.
Comelec records indicated that Bacolod City had the most candidates that did not file their SOCE, where only 28 of 37 candidates managed to file SOCEs.
“The SOCE filing requirement applies to all candidates, whether elected or not,’’ according to the Department of Interior and Local Government, citing Republic Act No. 7166 and Comelec Resolution No. 10730, which states all candidates and political parties in the May 2025 elections are required to file their SOCE by June 11, without extension.
Failure to file SOCE may also result in administrative fines for both winning and losing candidates. DILG further said.
“Repeat violations result in stiffer fines and subject the offender to perpetual disqualification to hold public office,’’ it added.
The DILG emphasized that the SOCE requirement promotes transparency and accountability in the conduct of elections and the use of campaign funds.
Kabankalan City had the most filers with 62.
On the other hand, all the candidates in the cities of Cadiz, Himamaylan, Sagay City, San Carlos, and Sipalay, as well as the municipalities of Toboso, Calatrava, Pulupandan, Don Salvador Benedicto, all filed their SOCEs.*
