MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court (SC) announced Tuesday that it has ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to accept the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Chito Balintay, a member of the Indigenous peoples of Zambales, reversing the poll body’s decision to reject his bid for the 2025 gubernatorial race.

Balintay filed his COC on the last day of the filing period, 25 minutes before the 5:00 P.M. deadline. 

However, election officers flagged his application as incomplete due to a missing fifth copy and documentary stamps. 

He was advised to complete the requirements but returned three minutes past the deadline. Citing Section 37 of Comelec Resolution No. 11045, the poll body ruled his late submission invalid and denied his candidacy.

The SC found that Comelec committed “grave abuse of discretion” by strictly enforcing its rules, stressing that the commission should “reexamine whether its rules serve the interest of justice and fair play.”

“Given these considerations, along with Balintay’s unique circumstances, the SC found that the Comelec’s strict application of its rules was unjustified, warranting the reversal of its decision,” the Court stated.

With the ruling, the SC directed Comelec to accept Balintay’s COC and include his name on the official ballot for the 2025 elections.

The decision follows a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the SC on January 14, 2025, which prevented Comelec from enforcing its disqualification of Balintay.