On the first day of filing Certificates of Candidacy (COC) in Cebu City, only a few candidates filed, with no major political figures submitting their papers on October 1. | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Cebu City has recorded a lower turnout of candidates filing their certificates of candidacy (COCs) as of Saturday, October 5.
In the city’s first district, the North District Comelec office has so far received nine COCs from aspiring city councilors.
Meanwhile, in the second district, a total of 16 candidates have filed their COCs for mayor, vice mayor, councilor, and district representative.
READ: Comelec: No prominent Cebu City candidates file COCs on first day
The distinction between the two election offices is part of the operational setup under Comelec Resolution 11045, which assigns specific responsibilities to different district offices.
Lawyer Edwin Abilar, the Comelec Cebu City North District officer, said that the delegation of duties was necessary for cities like Cebu, that is divided into multiple districts.
READ: LIVE UPDATES: Filing of CoCs for 2025 Elections in Cebu
“Sa north district, amo ra nga ma-receive ang COC sa Sangguniang Panglungsod kay ang gi-designate sa among regional director para sa representatives, House of Reps., mayors, and vice mayors, ari na sa south district. Silay mo-receive sa ilang COC,” Abilar explained.
Mabatid files COC
On Saturday, former Cebu City Councilor Prisca Niña Mabatid filed her COC as an independent candidate for a council seat in the North District.
READ: Independent aspirant files COC, joins Cebu City mayoral race
She previously ran for Congress in the same district in the May 2022 national elections but she lost to incumbent Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar.
Mabatid’s candidacy makes her the ninth aspirant for a council seat in the North District.
Meanwhile, two major political groups in Cebu City have yet to file their COCs, though they have already announced their respective candidates.
Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), led by former mayor Tomas Osmeña, is expected to field incumbent City Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. as their mayoral candidate, with Osmeña running for vice mayor.
On the other hand, the Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusug) party, led by acting mayor and mayoral aspirant Raymond Alvin Garcia, will field lawyer Joey Daluz as their vice mayoral candidate.
They are expected to file their COCs on Tuesday, the last day of filing.
Furthermore, Partido Cebuano, led by mayoral aspirant Yogi Filemon Ruiz, is scheduled to file their COCs on October 7.
With the deadline fast approaching, political observers are anticipating a surge in candidacy filings, which could set the stage for an intense and competitive electoral race in Cebu City.