Campaign period begins
THE campaign period for the May 14, 2018 Barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) Elections begins Friday, May 4, and lasts until Saturday, May 12.
During this period, qualified candidates may use their own strategies and gimmicks to get the voters’ trust and support.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, has enumerated in Resolution 10246 several acts that are prohibited during the campaign period. The first three acts are also prohibited on the day before and on Election Day while
1. Appointment or use of special policemen, special or confidential agents and the like [Section 261(m) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC)]
The Comelec disallows any individual from appointing special policemen, special agents, confidential agents or any persons performing similar functions during the campaign period and even the day before and on Election Day, May 14.
2. Use of armored land, water, or air craft (Section 261(r) of OEC)
Using armored land, water or air craft, such as military type tanks, half trucks, scout trucks, armored trucks, is strictly prohibited during the campaign period, as well as on the day before and on Election Day.
The poll body, however, exempts financial institutions or any business firms, allowing them to use not more than two armored vehicles that will be used to transport cash, gold bullion or other valuables.
3. Public officials or candidates’ use of bodyguards or security guards (Section 261(t) of OEC)
Any public officials or candidates for the twin elections are not authorized to hire policemen and provincial guards as their
security personnel during the campaign period until election day, unless their life and security are “in jeopardy.”
The Comelec has the jurisdiction to assign a maximum of three body guards for those who can avail of security services.
4. Construction or maintenance of village-funded roads and bridges (Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) 6679, as amended by Section 4 of RA 10923)
Under Comelec’s Resolution 10246, plans to construct or repair roads and bridges funded by villages cannot be carried out from May 4 to May 13.
5. Appointment of new employees, creation of new position, promotion, giving of salary increases, remuneration or privileges. (Section 261 (g), OEC, as amended by Section 5 of RA 10923)
Section 5 of RA 10923 states that such moves to appoint new government employees, create new positions in government, promote an incumbent public officials, and approve pay hike are prohibited for a period of 10 days immediately preceding the election.
The prohibition will take effect during campaign period and on the eve of election day.
6. Selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving or taking intoxicated liquor (Sec. 261 (dd), OEC)
On the eve of Election Day, giving and accepting free transportation, food, drinks and things of value are prohibited (Sec. 89, OEC).
Apart from these forbidden acts, the Comelec has also issued Resolution 10294 that imposes rules, in a bid to maintain “fair election practices.”
The poll body reminds aspirants to avoid overspending for an election campaign, noting that a candidate can only spend P5 for every voter in his or her locality.
It also declares “unlawful” for candidates to use prohibited election propaganda.
Prohibited forms of election propaganda are as follows:
* Printing of any published political matter and broadcasting political advertisement by radio or television without the words “political advertisement paid for,” followed by a candidate’s name and address, as well as the words “political advertisement paid by,” followed by the payor’s name and address.
* Printing or broadcasting of election propaganda by any publishing firm or media entity to a candidate without the words “printed free of charge,” or “airtime for this broadcast was provided free of charge by,” respectively, followed by the true and correct name and address of the publishing firm or media entity .
* Display of movie, cinematography or documentary, or any type of performance portraying the life of a candidate
* Endorsement of a candidate with an election propaganda that exceeds the maximum size of 1/4 page for broadsheets and 1/2 page for tabloids; the maximum of 60 minutes of television advertisements per station; and the maximum of 90 minutes of radio advertisements per station.
* Unnecessary mention of candidate’s name in a radio or television program
* Posting of propaganda material outside of authorized common poster areas, in public places, or in private properties without the owners’ consent
The Comelec listed the rules to ensure “free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible” elections this upcoming May 14.