Pantawid Pilipino 'epals' may face election offense – Comelec

"Epal" village bets who use the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program (4Ps) to get votes may face an election offense, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Wednesday.

4Ps is the government's conditional cash transfer program, providing cash incentives to identified poor households that comply with certain requirements such as their children’s regular attendance in schools and the mothers' regular visits to health clinics.

"Epal," a term referring to officials who post their names and faces on government projects, now also refers to candidates introducing themselves early on before the campaign period.

In the case of the October 28 elections, barangay officials have supposedly been threatening family beneficiaries of 4Ps with delisting from the program unless they vote for certain village bets, Comelec said.

Poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said these erring candidates may be brought up on the charge of coercion.

The Omnibus Election Code states that coercing, intimidating or compelling voters to vote for or against a candidate is an election offense, which may result in one to six years' imprisonment and disqualification from public office.

"It's coercive. Para mong pinipilit 'yung tao na bumoto. Criminal 'yun," Brillantes said at a press briefing.

On Tuesday, the Comelec launched the "Bawal ang Epal Dito" campaign, signing a joint circular with the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)

The circular, which aims to protect the 4Ps from "political influence and manipulation," tasked the Comelec to "conduct fact-finding investigation or preliminary investigation as the case may be... and prosecute the same."

"The local government officials have nothing to do with the Pantawid Pilipino in the sense that hindi mayor, governor, kongresista o kapitan ang namamahala rito kundi ang DSWD," commissioner Grace Padaca said.

"Ang importante, hindi gamiting panakot ng mga barangay captains na mawawala kayo sa list of beneficiaries kung hindi niyo kami binoto," she added.

Around 54 million voters are expected to vote in the October 28 barangay polls, and 3.2 million for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, which is subject to postponement.

There are 42,028 barangays in 80 provinces across the country. The Comelec has set aside 170,603 clustered precincts for the barangay polls and 45,775 for the SK elections. — BM, GMA News