Comelec reminds mall owners of ban on election propaganda in theaters

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reminded mall owners about the prohibition on featuring election propaganda in their theaters.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez sent the letter on Tuesday, the first day of the campaign period for national candidates running in the May 13 polls.

Comelec Resolution 10488 or the implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act banned the “show, display or exhibit in a theater, through a television station, a video sharing site, social media network, or any public forum any movie, cinematography or documentary, including concert or any type of performance portraying the life or biography of a candidate, or  in which a character is portrayed by an actor or media personality who is himself or herself a candidate.”

“Please reminded of this provision of the Resolution pertaining to prohibited forms of election propaganda during the campaign period which may be applicable to the nature of your business,” Jimenez said in his letter.

“Let us work together to ensure compliance with campaign rules. Thanks,” he added in a post on Twitter.

Jimenez said in January that the movie houses that would show the biopic of senatorial candidate and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa titled “Bato” within the three-month campaign period would face charges for violation of election laws.

The campaign period for Senate bets will be from February 12 to May 11, while that for local bets is scheduled from March 30 to May 11.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, any person found guilty of any election offense under this Code will be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation. In addition, the guilty party will be disqualified from holding public office and deprived of the right of suffrage. —NB, GMA News