PALACIO del Gobernador, where the Comelec holds office — PATRICK ROQUE

A PHILIPPINE SENATOR on Monday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hasten its handling of simple disqualification cases and petitions for denial of due course, ahead of the local campaign period which is scheduled to start on March 28.

“With the elections just a few months away, Comelec must act swiftly to clear its backlog… They need to act swiftly so they can fulfill their commitment to addressing all pending cases before election day,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” L. Pimentel III said in a statement.

He added that Comelec’s backlog could be significantly reduced if simpler matters were resolved first, freeing up time for the poll body to concentrate on more complicated cases.

“Prompt decisions on simple cases would not only help prevent bottlenecks in Comelec’s decision-making process but also strengthen public confidence in the fairness of the electoral system,” Mr. Pimentel said.

“They should begin with the cases that are easiest to decide. That will set the pace for handling the more complicated ones,” he added.

Comelec Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The Philippines is set to conduct its mid-term national and local election on May 12 (Monday). Up for grabs are 12 spots in the 24-seat Senate and 317 congressional seats. Thousands of local officials will also be elected. — Adrian H. Halili