Season of gift giving soon over for candidates, kin

The season of gift giving is over.

When the campaign period starts in two weeks’ time, candidates and their relatives will be forbidden from giving "donations" or "gifts," in cash or in kind.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos said starting Feb. 13, no senatorial candidate, his or her spouse or any other immediate relatives and the campaign manager can make any donation for the purpose of partisan politics.

Starting March 30, which is the start of the campaign period for the local elections and representatives of political parties, the same prohibition covers candidates running for local positions.

Excluded from the restriction are normal and customary religious dues such as collections on Sunday Masses as well as periodic payments for legitimate scholarships and school contributions habitually made before the campaign season.

The prohibition is under the rules governing electoral contributions and expenditures in connection with the May 14 national and local elections.

Candidates, however, may receive campaign contributions on condition that they shall submit a report to the Comelec within 30 days after the election.

Contributions from foreigners and foreign corporations, public or private financial institutions and from persons operating a public utility or in possession of or exploiting any natural resources of the nation are prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to hold dances, lotteries, cockfights, games, boxing bouts, bingo, beauty contests, entertainment or cinematographic, theatrical or other performances for the purpose of raising funds for an election campaign or for the support of any candidate.

According to the Comelec, official candidates of political parties are allowed to spend only P3 for every registered voter and P5 for senatorial candidates, political parties and party-list groups.

Failure to comply with the rules on contributions and expenditures shall constitute administrative offense and carries a penalty of P1,000 to P30,000. For the second or subsequent offenses, the administrative fine shall be P2,000 to P60,000.00 and perpetual disqualification to hold public office.

Other Comelec rules are now being clarified for the benefit of the candidates and the public.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), for one, is seeking clarification on its rules on the display of election materials on public utility vehicles.

LTFRB chairman Thompson Lantion said they would write the Comelec and ask for an explanation.

This was after operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) protested Lantion’s statement that banners and stickers could be considered advertising materials and thus banned on PUVs.

Election lawyer Romulo Makalintal said in a radio interview that the LTFRB cannot ban election materials from PUVs because only the Comelec can issue poll regulations.

Meanwhile, the Comelec has not yet amended its resolution banning the publication of surveys before elections, contrary to earlier pronouncements by officials of the poll body that the ban has been lifted, according Social Weather Stations (SWS) president Mahar Mangahas.

In a letter to Abalos, Mangahas disputed the statement of Comelec Commissioner Florentino Tuason that the poll body has lifted the ban. He said this is in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling that the ban on publication of election surveys prior to the midterm elections is unconstitutional. — Mayen Jaymalin, Sandy Araneta, Helen Flores