Can Comelec extend the non-extendible?

THE Commission on Elections’ en banc resolution allowing an extension of the final and non-extendible June 8 deadline for the filing of Statements of Contributions and Expenses (SOCE) by candidates in the May 9 elections constitutes not only an extremely dangerous precedent but, above all, a grave abuse of discretion and a patent violation of the law. It is null and void ab initio.

Commissioner Christian Robert Lim is reportedly set to resign today as head of the finance campaign office, in protest against the ruling, which seeks to set aside the provision of the Omnibus Election Code and Comelec Resolution 9991, by a vote of four to three. Both PDP-Laban, the President-elect’s adopted political party, and Vice President Jejomar Binay’s UNA have denounced the ruling as illegal, without saying whether they are taking any concrete action against it or not.