MANILA, Feb. 1 -- The House of Representatives must first declare a vacancy before special polls can be set, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Wednesday.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia is referring to the congressional post of the first district of Valenzuela City after Representative Rex Gatchalian was appointed as the new head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

"The House of Representatives has to issue a Declaration of Vacancy to trigger and initiate the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct a special election otherwise the Congress can only appoint a caretaker,' the poll body chief said in a statement.

"Comelec needs a trigger document to start the preparation process for the Spe...