Local officials favor ban on substitution due to withdrawal

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the substitution of candidates beyond the designated period to file certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections is “not good for the electoral system.”

“You have to rationalize it, hindi nga kun pwede or gusto niyo lang. That is my position even before. So that it doesn’t become a facility devised [to stay in power],” Defensor stated during a Thursday press conference.

He criticized the exploitation of the substitution system by other political entities, describing it as an undesirable strategy.

“The substitution should serve its purpose when the candidate who already filed cannot run anymore, not because we just want to change. That is the right substitution,” he emphasized.

In response to a question on Viber, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed support for the limitations, stating, “Maayo na” [That is a good move].

Under the current rules outlined in Article IX, Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code, political parties and coalitions are permitted to substitute their nominated candidates if the original candidate dies, withdraws, or is disqualified by the COMELEC after COC filing.

Substitutions due to death or disqualification can occur up until midday on election day, provided the substitute shares the same surname as the original candidate.

The right to substitute does not extend to independent candidates as no political party is affected.

In 2021, even former Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. criticized the practice of substitution by withdrawal, arguing that it should not be manipulated by candidates and parties to influence election outcomes and confuse voters.

He proposed an amendment to the Omnibus Election Code to restrict the abuse of the process.

He argued that the purpose of the substitution mechanism is not to provide an unfair advantage to certain candidates but rather to address specific circumstances, such as the incapacity of a candidate to run.

“The process must not be abused. The implementation of the process must be restricted to specific circumstances, such as when a candidate dies or other reasons, but not just out of want. If they continue doing what they want, the law is useless,” he added.

COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia disclosed in a press conference with local media in Guimaras this May that he plans to propose to en banc the prohibition of candidate substitution after COC filing.

This proposed amendment aims to address concerns about political parties exploiting the substitution mechanism to field placeholder candidates, a practice that Garcia believes contributes to voter confusion.