Premature campaign unfair, but Comelec says its hands tied

The Commission on Elections has again spoken against premature campaigning that well-off candidates have started to mount months before the formal start of the campaign period.

In an episode of The Mangahas Interviews, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez called the practice unfair and tilted against those without the millions of pesos needed to start their campaigns too early.

“Hindi yan illegal pero napakasama niyan sa sistema. Kasi kapag may pera ka makakapagsimula ka na ng kampanya ngayon pa lang," Jimenez told veteran journalist Malou Mangahas. 

"'Pag nagkampanya ka ngayon pa lang, mas maalala ka ng botante sa araw ng halalan and that is unfair,” he added.

[That's not illegal but that's very bad for the system. Because when you have money you can start a campaign right now, if you campaign right now, voters will remember you better on election day and that is unfair.]

Asked if this placed candidates who had no money at a disadvantage, Jimenez said, "Dehadong dehado po. In fact, natatabunan sila na halos invisible sila pagdating ng election date.” 

[They're quite at a disadvantage. In fact, they're so piled up on, they're almost invisible on election date.]

Unfair or not, Jimenez said there's nothing the Comelec could do about it.

“Ang ating election rules require them to report 'yung expenditures nila simula ng campaign period lang din. May mga naglalabas ng mga reporting na ang gaganda na nagsasabi na, ngayon pa lang gumagastos na ng milyon ang mga kandidato,” Jimenez bared.

[Our election rules require them to report their expenditures since the start of the campaign period. There are those who release reports that are saying that, even now the candidates are spending millions for campaigns.]

“In most cases, 'yung mga kandidato, inaamin nila 'yan... na gumastos sila para makilala sila. But there's nothing we can do about it,” he added.

[In most cases, the candidates admit that... that they spent to get to know them. But there's nothing we can do about it.]

Under the Republic Act No. 9369 or the Poll Automation Law, “any person who files his certificate of candidacy within this period shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period.”

Asked if there will be a debate among presidential candidates, Jimenez said, “Definitely magkakaroon po kelangan lang po mafinalize yung list ng presidential candidates para malaman natin kung sino yung magdedebate.”

[Definitely there will be a presidential debate but we need to finalize the list of presidential candidates so that we know who will be debating.]

The campaign period for the national posts’ candidates is set from February 8 to May 7, 2022.

Meanwhile, the campaign period for candidates in local elective posts is set from March 25 to May 7, 2022.

The 2022 general elections will be held on May 9. -Richa Noriega/NB, GMA News