File SOCEs, remove campaign materials, bets told

MANILA, Philippines — All candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) have until Saturday to remove their posters and other campaign materials, and the last week of November to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“A reminder to all candidates: you only have five days or until Nov. 4 to remove all posted and distributed campaign materials in the common poster area,” Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said during the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday.

Moreover, BSKE candidates, whether they won or lost in the elections, are required to submit their SOCE, a comprehensive report about the campaign contributions and expenditures of political candidates.

Republic Act 7166, or the Synchronized National and Local Elections and Electoral Reforms Act, states that no elected officials may sit without filing their respective SOCE.

Candidates should file their SOCE at the Office of the Election Officer concerned on or before Nov. 29, or not later than one month after the day of the election. Those who fail to submit the document after two successive elections can no longer run for public office.

Investigations

At the same public briefing, Laudiangco reported that the commission is still investigating 154 complaints of vote-buying. If there is enough evidence, he said, the poll body will file the charges.

As of yesterday, Laudiangco said the Comelec has formally filed vote-buying charges against 27 candidates and is set to file 46 more cases.

The commission suspended the proclamation of 256 BSKE candidates facing disqualification complaints for premature and illegal campaigning as well as vote-buying. Of the 256 candidates, 59 won in the elections.

Transition

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos has clarified that the three-week maximum transition period set by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is to ensure proper and smooth turnover of the office and barangay properties to the incoming candidates.

“Let us clarify, they can assume anytime. Right now or yesterday according to the law. But for transition purposes they have up to three weeks because of the outgoing processes,” he said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday.

Abalos noted that there are still procedural issues that the new officers need to undertake, such as appointing barangay secretary and treasurer.

Back out

Abalos said that he backs the call of Comelec on possible charges against poll workers who backed out of their duty at the last minute.

“Unless, of course, if they have a valid reason. We must also understand. But if it was proven that they have no valid reason, they will have to be filed charges,” he added.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they are eyeing criminal and administrative charges against the poll workers, particularly more than 2,500 teachers, who backed out during election day in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Abalos said that they will conduct an investigation with the Philippine National Police to determine the ground situation that led to the backing out of poll workers.

PDLs

Concerning persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who won the barangay elections, Laudiangco said all three have already been proclaimed.

However, he said, the three winning PDLs cannot physically take office in the barangay halls.

After the proclamation, he said, the Comelec turned over jurisdiction over barangays which elected the PDLs to the DILG.

He explained that PDLs, particularly those who have no final conviction, whose trial is still ongoing or were sentenced to less than a year of imprisonment – still have the right to vote and run for public office.

The Comelec, he said, will just await the guidance of the DILG on how the three PDLs can perform their duties as elected barangay officials while still in jail.

PPCRV backs automation

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) expressed its support for a nationwide automation of BSKE.

In a statement, PPCRV national media and voters education director Ana de Villa-Singson said, “Pending cost evaluations, we believe that automated elections which have been implemented with effectivity for national elections may likewise be implemented successfully for local barangay and SK elections.”

The PPCRV also recommended nationwide mall voting in the coming elections.

“Mall elections in select SM and Robinsons’ Malls were observed to be facile and incident-free. Access to parking, in-house security and the convenience and comfort of air conditioning were benefits appreciated by mall voters,” Singson said.

However, the PPCRV also noted problems during the recently concluded village elections last Monday, and even suggested that additional Accessible Polling Place (APP) and Emergency Accessible Polling Place be allocated for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).

In areas without APPs, the PPCRV volunteers reportedly made makeshift signs and physically assisted PWDs and senior citizens. — Evelyn Macairan, Romina Cabrera