By URIEL C. QUILINGUING
Contributing Editor .
ALL, except six, of the 61 candidates for the 20 local elective posts in Cagayan de Oro in the May 13 elections have filed their statements of contributions and expenditures, the city election officer said yesterday.
“Only six independent candidates did not file,” said lawyer Ramil Acol, who heads the Commission on Elections office here. But he refused to reveal the names of non-filers.
Acol said the deadline for the filing of “full, true and itemized” reports on election-related contributions and expenses, both in hard and soft (electronic) copies, to his office was last Thursday.
He said his office has no authority to accept reports beyond the 30-day deadline, when asked if he would entertain late filers.
The submission of reports on donations and costs of the campaign is required under the Omnibus Election Code of 1985 and Republic Act 7166 of 1991 which provides for the holding of synchronized national and local elections.
Acol said those who did not file may be penalized with an administrative fines; failure to file twice may lead to perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
As provided for under Section 14 of Republic Act 7166, the administrative fines for non-filing of the statement of contributions and expenditures could range from P2,000 to P60,000, upon the discretion of the Commission, depending on the position sought by offenders.
The law further states that the “payment of fines should be within 30 days from receipt of notice of such failure; otherwise it shall be enforceable by a writ of execution issued by the Commission against the properties of the offender.”
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