Comelec to publish bets' records in Aug

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will make public all election-related documents required from candidates, including the Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Friday that candidates' documents will be posted on the poll body's official website starting in August 2024.

During Friday's Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum, Garcia said that the posting has already been approved by the Comelec en banc.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO

Aside from the SOCE, the election-related documents also include the certificate of candidacy (CoC) and the certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA).

Included in the SOCE are cash and in-kind contributions received by the candidate from a political party and other sources. It also includes expenditures paid out of personal funds, out-of-cash contributions, and incurred using in-kind contributions.

Republic Act (RA) 7166, or the Synchronized National and Local Elections and Electoral Reforms Act, mandates that no official will be allowed to assume their elected posts without filing their SOCE with the Comelec.

Advertisement Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia answers questions from former senator Joey Lina, host of the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel, on July 19, 2024. Garcia is accused of accepting bribes from Miru Systems Corp. a South Korean-based technology firm that won the bid to provide over 110,000 vote counting machines (VCMs) in the 2025 midterm polls. Both Garcia and Miru have denied the allegations. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia answers questions from former senator Joey Lina, host of the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel, on July 19, 2024. Garcia is accused of accepting bribes from Miru Systems Corp. a South Korean-based technology firm that won the bid to provide over 110,000 vote counting machines (VCMs) in the 2025 midterm polls. Both Garcia and Miru have denied the allegations. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia answers questions from former senator Joey Lina, host of the Kapihan sa Manila