The Commissions on Elections (Comelec) said they have no authority to postpone the 2022 elections until 2025, adding such a move would violate the Constitution.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez commented on the Coalition for Life and Democracy petition to halt the May 2022 elections until 2025 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think they’re going by the fact that the Comelec does have the authority to suspend the conduct of elections. But, the petition itself, just on the surface of it, seems unlikely to prosper,” the spokesman said on ANC’s Headstart.
“Basically saying that we’re going to go against the Constitution and just not hold elections this year. Right? That would be unconstitutional,” he added.
Jimenez said the Comelec may delay the elections but only for short periods and “only when the conditions for free and fair elections do not exist.”
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Comelec no authority to postpone 2022 elections until 2025
“I think those particular criteria do not exist right now. So, I don’t see any justification for granting this sort of petition. Of course, that’s entirely on the commission en banc if it ever gets to them,” he noted.
The Comelec official also noted that the petition to postpone the 2022 elections is “problematic.”
“Again, the petition is asking for the elections to be postponed all the way to 2025, essentially meaning that they just want to forego the elections entirely. This is problematic for two reasons: the Constitution is very specific about when elections are to be held and second, there is no holdover provision in the Constitution or anywhere for the positions that are up for election in the coming polls,” Jimenez explained.
The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice-presidential elections are scheduled to be held on Monday, May 9, 2022, as part of that year’s general election. This will be the 17th direct presidential election and 16th vice-presidential election in the Philippines since 1935, and the seventh sextennial presidential and vice-presidential election since 1986.
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