The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has disqualified around 4,000 candidates in past Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) for being over the maximum age requirement, according to COMELEC Chairman George Garcia.
In an exclusive interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos on Thursday, Garcia said many of those disqualified were later found to be older than 24 years, which is beyond the legal age limit for SK officials.
“Naalaman na sila pala ay lampas ng 24 anyos. Samantala, ang sabi ng batas, ang SK chairman o kagawad ay dapat hanggang 24 anyos lamang,” Garcia said.
He also raised concerns about the falsification of documents, noting that some candidates may have submitted tampered birth certificates, including those allegedly sourced through fraudulent means.
Garcia warned that candidates who falsify documents such as birth certificates may face both disqualification and criminal liability.
“Siyempre po ang Certificate of Candidacy, ay pinanumpaan. Sabi mo, Pilipino ka. Sabi mo, ikaw ay nasa tamang edad. Okay. So yan po, pwede siyang ma-perjury, pwede siyang ma-disqualify o cancel ang candidacy. At pag naglakip ng isang gawa sa Recto na pre-certificate ‘yan po ay falsification of public document,” he said.
He emphasized that birth certificates should be secured from legitimate sources such as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or local civil registrars to ensure authenticity and compliance.
Garcia also explained that COMELEC continues to protect candidates’ personal data while maintaining transparency in elections.
Certificates of candidacy (COC) are published online for public awareness, but sensitive personal information is redacted in line with data privacy rules.
“Kung kaya nga lamang yung mismong certificates of candidacy basis sa ating ginawa na noong nakarang eleksyon, Yan po ay lagi natin ngayon nilalagay sa ating website upang maalaman ng mga kababayan natin, sino ba yung tumatakbo niyan? Ano ba ang background niyan? Mali ba na lang sa mga ilang item, yan po ay ating nire-redact o tinatanggal upang hindi nga ma-violate yung data privacy ng kandidato,” he added.
Garcia reminded SK aspirants to ensure accuracy and authenticity in their submitted documents to avoid penalties and disqualification.
