Comelec to document local bets’ violations

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will go full blast next week in documenting violations of campaign rules as local candidates officially started courting voters yesterday.

But this early, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they have been receiving reports through Twitter account @comelec and website mycomelec.tv about alleged unlawful campaign materials of local candidates plastered across the country.

“We have not started making a round of places but we have been receiving complaints about tarpaulins all over the country. Many of the reports (came) from the Visayas and from the South, Davao, I think,”he said.

Comelec will also be looking into reports that campaign tarpaulins are displayed across some churches.

The campaign period for local polls was supposed to start last March 29. But since it fell on Good Friday when campaigning is banned out of respect for religious events, candidates formally started the campaign yesterday.

Jimenez said they have not received any report about candidates campaigning on Good Friday.

“So far, the reports we got were about vehicles that played jingles. But as far as direct campaigning, there is none yet,” he added.

Before the campaign period, Comelec had called on all local candidates to remove their propaganda materials that would become unlawful with the start of the campaign.

Under Comelec Resolution 9615, campaign materials are banned from being put up on electric posts, trees, schools, government structures and vehicles and public utility vehicles, among others. It also requires that each poster must measure only two feet by three feet.

The resolution mandates Comelec’s election officers to identify common poster areas in a locality where candidates could display their campaign materials.

Jimenez said Comelec would be coming up with a procedure under which the poll body’s central office would be tapping its local offices to take “immediate action” on the reports.

“Our local offices have the authority to issue notices and then they have to send us feedbacks,” he added.

Vince Lazatin, co-convenor of the No More Epal campaign, said violation of campaign rules is historically more rampant in local elections.

“The problem in local elections is that even the barangay vehicles, barangay markers, emergency response team have the names and photographs of candidates. And supposedly they are already illegal during the campaign period,” he said.

Lazatin recognized that getting candidates to comply with campaign rules would be a huge task for the Comelec.

“I don’t think the Comelec can do it alone. But what I would give them allowance for is that they try their best. If they will be flooded with photographs of violations, it will be difficult for Comelec, especially since they are undermanned,” he said.

Lazatin hailed Comelec for its efforts to implement campaign policies and regulations to level the playing field among candidates.

And while the Comelec might not be fully successful in going after all campaign violators, Lazatin said it could set a good precedent for future elections.

“It’s a very good start. At the national level, they are really doing their best. You could see that they are really trying to respond to reports, to inform candidates of potential violations and request them to remove whatever might be posted,” he added.

Lazatin also expressed hopes that this campaign could be sustained even after Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes’ scheduled retirement from the poll body in 2015, a year before the next presidential race.  â€“ With Charlie Lagasca