Comelec allows barangay, SK officials to join Eleksyon 2025 campaign

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now allowing elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to participate in partisan politics or electoral activities for Eleksyon 2025. 

Under Comelec Minute Resolution 24-1001, the poll body said the elective officials may participate in election campaign activities for the upcoming polls, citing a Supreme Court (SC) decision stating they are exempted from Section 261(i) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC). 

“Nagkaroon ng decision sa Quintos vs Comelec…na sinasabi ng SC na ang barangay candidates pag nag-file ng candidacy ay hindi pwedeng gumamit ng CONA mula sa isang political party dahil ang BSKE ay apolitical. Pero once na nahalal na…sila ay politikal na at therefore, pwedeng sumuporta ng kandidato at pwedeng sumama sa kampanya,” said poll chief George Erwin Garcia. 

(The SC, in Quintos vs Comelec, said barangay candidates cannot use a political party’s CONA because the BSKE is apolitical. But once they win, it they become political and may join partisan politics and campaig activities.)

“Yun ang maliwanag na maliwanag at again, susunod ang Comelec sa decision ng SC bagamat nung 2016,” he said. 

(That is clear. We will adhere to the SC decision.)

Section 261(i) of the OEC bans civil service officers and employees from joining partisan politics and campaign activities during elections. 

COs, JOs

Likewise, the Comelec said non-civil service personnel such as job orders (JO) and contract of service (COs) are excluded from the prohibition. 

The poll body said the Constitution and prevailing laws are clear on the limitations for civil service employees but are “notably silent on the application thereof to non-civil service personnel such as those engaged under JO and COS”. 

“To our minds, however, such silence is a loud expression of the intent of the framers of the Constitution and the OEC,” said the Comelec.

“Applying the principle of expressio unius est exclusio alterius, we submit that the express use of the term ‘Civil Service’ limits the application of the law to Civil Service officials and employees only, and may not, by interpretation or construction, be extended to others, especially to those of an entirely different class,” it added. –Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News

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