Is this the silence before the storm?
It was a slow day for the Commission on Election (Comelec) main office on Friday after it received fewer senatorial candidates and party lists formalizing their bid for the 2019 polls.
Only 10 senatorial aspirants filed their Certificate of Candidacy (COC) and 12 party lists, which submitted their Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA).
As of Oct. 12, 2018, Comelec already registered 37 aspiring senators and 30 party lists.
Comelec Commissioner James B. Jimenez attributed the low turnout of candidates since many of them are still undecided if they will participate in the 2019 polls.
“We are having few filers today because it is the coming weekend. Maybe people thought they will take the weekend to think about it,” Jimenez said.
The poll official said they are anticipating the bulk of the candidates to submit their COCs and CONAs next week.
“Certainly after this weekend, come Monday the sense of the impending end will operate and people will start hurrying things along,” Jimenez said.