Comelec starts tracking possible election violations among local candidates

Local candidates beware. The Commission on Elections may not yet have jurisdiction over local candidates and their campaign efforts, but the poll body has started at this early date tracking possible election rule violations. “For the local [candidates] andyan ang iba’t ibang uri ng kaepalan. Wala tayong magagawa sa [March 29] pa yung start ng campaign nila pero certainly we are marking out mga areas na alam nating punong puno ng mga ganyang klase ng materials,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told reporters Monday. “Pagdating ng campaign period, yun ang priority areas natin for inspection,” he said. He said they were now identifying individuals and certain locations throughout the Metro Manila area where a lot of campaign materials proliferate. “We can go there immediately and if there is anything there pa rin, we will be sending out notices para first day pa lang may notices na agad,” he said. Local candidates are supposed to remove their illegal campaign materials before the start of the campaign. At present, the areas with the most campaign materials from local candidates are Laguna and Cavite. The Comelec prohibits oversized posters, and posting of campaign materials on public infrastructures, electric posts, and trees. The campaign period for local candidates will officially start on March 29 but they cannot really start campaigning as it falls on a Good Friday, a day when campaigning is still prohibited Jimenez said Comelec personnel will be rounding the cities to check the compliance of the candidates on Good Friday. “I think just to be on the safe side, candidates should just rest on Good Friday, magmuni-muni muna sila and reflect on their choices like the rest of us,” he said. — DVM, GMA News