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An aspiring candidate for Barangay Captain files a Certificate of Candidacy (COC) with the Regional Election Office (a COMELEC field office). The COC is timely and contains the candidate’s full name, residence, age, and office sought. The attached residency certificate from the Barangay is not in the prescribed form, and the COC lacks the candidate’s middle name. The officer refuses to receive the COC, contending that these defects render the filing invalid.
(a) Identify the controlling doctrine on COMELEC’s ministerial duty to receive Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) and its limits.
(b) Apply the doctrine to determine whether the officer’s refusal to receive the COC is legally proper.
(c) If COMELEC’s refusal is improper, what remedy should the candidate pursue to compel reception and protect the candidate’s right to run?