GOING by the big number of early filers of certificates of candidacy (COC) by prospective candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), it is safe to say that the election fever has begun.
Elections have become not only an important cog in the nation’s democratic system but also part of Filipino culture itself. People are agog with anticipation on who the next leaders of the country, province, town and cities — even barangays — would be, as the candidates themselves do everything in the book to get noticed and be elected. Violence, illegal use of money and influence, and cheating are tricks that may be employed.
This political exercise being so popular with the masses, it is small wonder that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported and welcomed the large turnout on the first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) last Monday for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October.
Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said, “Many candidates filed their COCs, not just in Metro Manila, nationwide. While we were not expecting this many people to file on Day 1, we welcome the fact that democracy is so alive. This is how much our countrymen want to participate in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.”
‘All indications point to the possibility that the coming BSKE… would be a hotly contested one and candidates can very easily turn into adversaries who are open to using violence, intimidation and other illegal means to gain victory.’
Laudiangco noted many of the early filers said they were excited and they did not want to be late in case there were problems with their candidacies. Which leads us to note the possibility that in their excitement, these aggressive candidates might be the first ones to violate the Comelec rules on premature campaigning.
The poll body has warned BSKE candidates that promoting their advocacies and hanging posters ahead of the campaign period on October 19 to 28 would be considered premature campaigning.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia minced no words as he aired a stern warning to all candidates: “When you file your candidacy, all the posters you have on the streets should be removed because we will sue you and we will remove them, and you can also be disqualified. Everyone who files a certificate of candidacy is not immediately allowed to hand out or campaign within his area. Now that you are a candidate, Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code, or premature campaigning, already applies to you.”
Section 80 of the code says “it shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not a voter or candidate, or for any party, or association of persons, to engage in an election campaign or partisan political activity except during the campaign period.”
All indications point to the possibility that the coming BSKE, which had been postponed several times, would be a hotly contested one and candidates can very easily turn into adversaries who are open to using violence, intimidation and other illegal means to gain victory.
The Comelec under Chairman Garcia is up to a daunting challenge to implement the law in these elections.
