Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla urged the Commission on Elections to require candidates to swear they have no conflict of interest in their certificate of candidacy.
Speaking on his DZRH radio program on Saturday, Remulla directed the proposal to COMELEC Chairman George Garcia. He said the certificate of candidacy should be amended to include a sworn declaration, with disqualification as the penalty for false statements.
“Let’s amend the certificate of candidacy so that it includes a sworn statement declaring that the candidate has no conflict of interest,” Remulla said. “That should become part of the COC. If you make a false declaration, you should be disqualified.”
The proposal comes as the Office of the Ombudsman builds cases against several incumbent legislators for allegedly violating Section 3(h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by having financial interests in government contracts.
