MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is calling on the public to take an active role in reviewing the Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs) submitted by candidates, political parties, and party-list groups in the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said the poll body needs the people’s help in verifying the accuracy and legality of the submitted SOCEs, which are now accessible through the Comelec website.

“It’s not enough that they submit their SOCEs as a matter of requirement. Now that we have made it public, everybody has an obligation to review them, look into them,” Garcia said on Thursday during the soft launch of Project SURI (SOCE) web application at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila.

“Are there prohibited contributors? Why are there excess expenditures?” he added, citing key concerns that should be examined by the public.

Garcia stressed that public participation is crucial in ensuring compliance with campaign finance rules. He noted that both winning and losing candidates, along with political parties and party-list organizations, are required by law to file their SOCEs within 30 days of the election, or until June 11, 2025.

“We should always make SOCE an election issue… This is how important the SOCE and public vigilance are during elections,” Garcia said.

The submitted SOCEs can be accessed online via the Comelec website at https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=2025NLE/2025NLE_SOCE. (PNA)