More than 40 national candidates have failed to file their statement of contributions and expenses at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Atty. Ferdinand Rafanan, Comelec’s Law Department director, said these candidates run either for president, vice-president, senator and partylist in the last May 10 polls.

To recall, the Comelec earlier named Sen. Sergio Osmena III and presidential aspirants John Carlos Delos Reyes of the Ang Kapatiran and Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas as some of those who failed to meet the June 24 deadline for the filing of the statement of contributions and expenditures.

According to Rafanan they already recommended to the Comelec en banc to penalize the said individuals.

“For first time offenders, we’ve recommended the fining of P25,000 while for second offenders the fine is much bigger plus disqualification,” added Rafanan.

Based on the Fair Election Act, a candidate, whether winning or losing, faces a fine of P1,000 to P30,000 for failing to file the statement for the first time.

For the second offense, a fine of P2,000 to P60,000 is also imposed plus lifetime disqualification from public office.

Asked whether they were able to monitor any second time offender among the national and local candidates, Rafanan answered in the affirmative citing the case of one local candidate in Parañaque City.

“We saw one councilor in Parañaque, who was a second time offender in the past but was able to run in the last elections,” he said.

“We wrote to him telling him to vacate his post because he won… he replied to our letter. We already referred the matter to the en banc,” added Rafanan.

Republic Act 7166 or the Synchronized National and Local Elections Law states that “no person elected to any public office shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed the statement of contributions and expenditures required.”