Senate urges Comelec to reset filing of candidacy for 2019 elections to Oct 11 - 17, 2018

The Senate adopted today Concurrent Resolution No. 13 urging the Commission on Elections to move the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the 2019 national and local elections from October 1 to 5, 2018 to October 11 to 17, 2018.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who introduced the resolution, said Congress would be in session until October 12, 2018.

"Concurrent Resolution No. 19 provides for the legislative calendar for the regular session of the Seventeenth Congress of the Philippines which provides that it shall hold its session on August 28, 2018 to October 12, 2018 and adjourn on October 12, 2018 to November 11, 2018," the resolution said.

At the moment, the resolution explained, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines are deliberating the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Bill and other priority measures that "require their utmost and undivided attention."

To enable members of the Congress to fully attend to their legislative duties and meet the deadline for the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the 2019 national and local elections, the resolution said it is imperative that the period for filing of the certificates of candidacy be moved from October 1 to 5, 2018 to October 11 to 17, 2018.

The House of Representatives had filed a similar resolution today. A concurrent resolution adopted by both Houses does not require the signature of the President and does not have the force of law.