Comelec to probe 4 aspirants over alleged Holy Week campaign violations
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is launching an investigation into reports that four candidates violated campaign rules during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
In an interview with DZBB on Sunday, April 20, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body received complaints from individuals alleging that some candidates used the Holy Week observance for campaign activities.
"Yan ang kaagad nating patitignan at aalamin sa ating mga local Comelec sapagkat may bago kasi tayong pamamaraan siyempre ng pangangampanya,” Garcia told DZBB.
(That’s what we’ll immediately look into and verify with our local Comelec offices because, of course, we now have a new method of campaigning)
However, Garcia said the poll body still needs to verify the incidents, noting that the law prohibiting campaigning on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday was crafted before the rise of social media, which candidates now use for their campaigns
“Naglatag po talaga madaming kandidato sa social media naman. ‘Yun bang kanilang mga social media accounts, doon talaga sila nagpakilala nang sobra. So ang katanungan ay kung ‘yan ba ay paglabag sa ating pinagbabawal na bawal mangampanya sa Huwebes Santo at Biyernes Santo,” Garcia said.
(Many candidates really laid it all out on social media. They used their social media accounts to heavily introduce themselves. So the question is whether that counts as a violation of our prohibition against campaigning on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.)
Garcia pointed out that the core issue lies in the law itself, noting that the Omnibus Election Code was enacted in 1985, long before the rise of the internet and could be outdated.
“Pero alam natin pinag-post nila ang purpose talaga yan, pangampanya, pag-promote ng kanilang sarili,” Garcia said.
(But we know the real purpose of their posts was to campaign, to promote themselves.)
The Comelec earlier reminded candidates that campaigning on Maundy Thursday (April 17) and Good Friday (April 18) is prohibited.
It said that violators may face fines, imprisonment, or even disqualification from public office under Sections 263 and 264 of the Omnibus Election Code.
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