Gun ban begins today in Marawi for barangay, SK polls

The election period for the September 22 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections including a gun ban in war-torn Marawi City starts today.

In Resolution No. 10412, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) set the Election Period for the Marawi polls from August 17 to September 29, 2018.

The poll body said the start of the Election Period is also the beginning of the gun ban.

“The gun ban runs for the entire election period and covers Marawi City only,” the COMELEC said in a statement.

Prohibited during the election period are the alteration of precincts or the establishment of new precincts; use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates; transfer of officers and employees in the civil service; and suspension of any elective local officer.

Based on the calendar of activities for BSKE2018 Marawi, the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) will also be held this month.

The Comelec said aspiring candidates will have eight days to file their COCs from August 23 to 30, and nine days for the Campaign Period, from September 12 to 20.

The last day for the filing of the Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs), on the other hand, is on October 22.

The Comelec announced earlier that the village and youth polls in Marawi will be held next month.

The Commission En Banc on January 31, 2018 resolved to defer the barangay and SK polls in Marawi City, owing to prevailing conditions in the city, after the conduct of three public consultations in Mindanao whether or not to postpone the said polls in the entire region.