De Lima: Comelec campaign permit system 'an added burden' for bets, parties
MANILA, Philippines — Reelectionist Sen. Leila de Lima is urging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to review and eliminate its election campaign permit system, calling it an added burden for political parties and candidates.
She also argued that the permit system infringes on candidates' rights to conduct activities during campaign period and may contribute to bureaucratic red tape.
De Lima made these comments shortly after the 90-day campaign period for national candidates began, and after Comelec said that presidential aspirant and labor leader Leody de Guzman and his running mate Walden Bello failed to secure a permit to hold their proclamation rally on February 8.
READ: Comelec urged to drop election offense vs Ka Leody-Walden tandem amid permit slipup
De Guzman, a labor leader and presidential candidate of Partido Lakas ng Masa, decided to push through with the proclamation rally anyway, but said in a press conference after that there had been lapses in the campaign's application for a permit.
Speaking at the Pandesal Forum this week, De Guzman said that PLM told him that the Comelec required a permit from the local government before it could process the application for the Comelec permit, which delayed the process.
"[Comelec should] revisit and eliminate this campaign permit system, being the hindrance to the holding of free and fair elections that it currently is, before it unnecessarily constraints the candidates' right to campaign effectively," De Lima said in a statement on the Senate's website.
She explained that the permit system can deny candidates of their rights to conduct election campaigns because this procedure could turn into a form of "bureaucratic red tape."
"With the start of the campaign period for national posts, we are now realizing that it is an unnecessary added burden to political parties and candidates," she said.
'Comelec may have gone overboard in its zeal'
According to her, Comelec is not mandated to issue permits for campaign activities, based on the Constitution and election laws.
"Comelec might have just gone overboard this time in its zeal to reinforce election rules in coping with the pandemic. But even a pandemic should not be a cause to restrict our democracy and our democratic exercises," De Lima claimed.
De Lima is among the senators endorsed by Vice President Leni Robredo, who is vying for the presidency in this year's elections, and her running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan.
De Lima, who is currently in jail due to drug trafficking charges, was represented by her spokesperson Dino de Leon who held up a large cardboard cut out of the senator during the proclamation rally of the Robredo-Pangilinan duo.
READ: Philippine politicians who have run for election behind bars
Under the Comelec's Resolution No. 10732, groups seeking to hold election campaign activities need to secure permits filed at least 72 hours before the intended schedule.
Without these permits, campaign teams cannot hold in-person activities; motorcades and caravans; caucuses, meetings, conventions and indoor events; rallies and miting de avance held outdoors.
The Comelec issued the guidelines late last year in a bid to help curb the spread of COVID-19 amid campaign season.
The national and local elections is set to take place on May 9.
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