Make up your mind, Comelec tells prospective May 14 bets

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE Commission on Election (Comelec) called on all those planning to seek positions in the barangays and Sangguniang Kabataan councils in the May 14 elections to make up their mind.

The Comelec said ctizens who wish to participate in the elections as candidates have until April to file their certificates of candidacy.

Lawyer Renato Magbutay, Comelec regional director, said the Comelec central office  released Resolution no. 10246 that set the period for the filing of the certificates from April 14 to April 20.

The martial law in Mindanao, he said, would not stop the elections in the country’s second largest island except for Marawi City.

“This means that those interested to run in the upcoming elections have seven days (in April) to submit their certificates of candidacy. Kamulo pa kami og buhat og listahan sa updated voters para sa coming election. Then after the completion, we will ask the go-signal from the central office so we could release the updated voters’ list,” he said.

Based the new resolution, the calendar of the activities for the May 14 village and youth elections includes a nine-day campaign period from May 2  to May 12.

During the campaign period, the poll body said the following acts are prohibited:

• making any donation or gift in cash or in kind;
• appointing or using special policemen or confidential agents; and
• construction or maintenance of barangay-funded roads and bridges; appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new positions, promotions, giving of salary increases, remuneration or privileges, among others.

Campaigning is also prohibited on the eve of election day, May 13.

During the election period, the Commission prohibits the alteration of precincts or establishment of new precincts; carrying of firearms or other deadly weapons; use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates; transfer of officers and employees in the civil service; and suspension of any elective local officer.

The election period is set from April 14 to May 21.

On election day, casting of votes in polling precincts will be from 7 am to 3 pm.

Officials to be elected in every village on May 14 are the barangay chairman, seven members of the Sangguniang Barangay as well as the Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson, and seven members of the youth council.

Voting and counting for the May polls will be manual.