THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) In Lanao del Sur made a public appeal asking people to report any candidates for the local Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) who start campaigning early after they submit their certificate of candidacy (COC).
The acting election supervisor for the province, lawyer Udtog Tago, highlighted the crucial part the public can play in preventing early campaigning.
He urged people to file complaints if they notice any such violations. However, he emphasized that it’s important to have strong evidence to support these complaints, so they’re taken seriously.
“Malaki ang magagawa ng publiko. Sila yung makapagpigil sa premature campaigning by filing complaints against them [candidates]. Pero kailangan mayroon silang mga ebidensya na malakas para yung kanilang complaint mabigyan ng bigat,” he said.
Tago explained that once a person submits their COC, they are officially viewed as a candidate.
“From that moment on, they are expected to follow all the laws and guidelines for campaigning,” said Tago, adfing that if they do not, they will face legal consequences.
The Comelec had previously stated that the filing of COCs for the 2023 BSKE would take place from August 28 to September 2.
The official campaign period, however, would only begin on October 19 and end on October 28.
“Any campaigning outside of these dates would be considered a violation,” said Tago.
In addition to this, Tago also appealed to the voting public. He asked them to help ensure a peaceful, fair, and successful election in the province.
He urged them not to swap their votes for money, a practice known as vote buying.
He stressed the importance of maintaining peace during the election process.
“Avoid vote buying. Peace is important. Let’s work together to make the filing peaceful until the election is done,” he said.
Furthermore, Tago noted that an election period and a gun ban would start on August 28 and continue until November 29.
This end date also marks the final day for all candidates to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures, a report that outlines their campaign spending, according to Tago.
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