Only spouses of candidates are allowed to substitute for the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday.

According to Comelec chairperson George Garcia, they will only allow a wife or husband to substitute a candidate seeking position in the village polls.

“The only substitution that we shall allow are the spouses. We won’t allow others to become substitute bets,” he said in a radio interview.

The poll body chief noted that the policy is based on the Supreme Court decision in 2003 (Rulloda vs Comelec; GR 154198).

“The BSKE is apolitical. Therefore, there are no political parties that can make substitutions,” he added.

To ensure that only rightful substitutes can replace the barangay bets, Garcia said that a candidate has to identify his/her spouse, if any.

“In their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs), we will ask them to identify their spouses,” he said.

The Comelec chair, however, said that substitution is not allowed among the youth aspirants.

The COC filing period for the 2023 BSKE will be from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. (PNA)