Comelec asks candidates to avoid using graduation for campaigns

Echoing the request of the Department of Educaption (DepEd), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday asked candidates to avoid using schools’ graduation rites to promote their campaigns. Candidates “should spare the schools during graduation proceedings," Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal told reporters. “You want to focus the attention on the graduates on that special day." Earlier, DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus released Order No. 13 which orders schools to keep their graduation rites solemn yet simple and austere. "The graduating rites should be conducted in an appropriate solemn ceremony befitting the graduating students and their parents and shall not in any way be used as a venue for political forum," he said in the order. In the past, many schools usually invite political figures to speak at graduation rites. During election time, these politicians take the opportunity to campaign before their captured audience, members of whom comprise graduates’ parents and guests. In this connection, Larrazabal warned candidates against placing or installing campaign materials inside schools. "Those are public places. Those are not private residences, those are not common poster areas so bawal maglagay ng campaign materials diyan (so it's prohibited to put campaign materials there)," he said. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV