The Commission on Elections 11 (Comelec 11) said on Monday that the Comelec is firm on filing charges against candidates of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) performing pre-mature campaigning.
Under the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), it is unlawful for any candidate, prospective candidate, party, or association of persons to engage in an election campaign or partisan political activity except during the campaign period.
“For now, very specific si chair (George Garcia) na naay masampolan gyud,” Lawyer Gay Enumerables, Comelec 11 Assistant Director, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.
The campaign period for BSKE 2023 will be from October 19 to October 28.
Enumerables urged the public to go to the Comelec 11 office if they want to report candidates violating the OEC.
“Mag adto sa Comelec and mag submit ug complaint form. Complaint talaga at kailangan may complainant. But if we see it ourselves puwede din kami on our part na mag initiate sa complaint. Ang Comelec can file complaints against candidates violating Omnibus Election Codes. Kanang pre-mature campaigning naa tay na-filan sauna kaso pag abot sa court specially kung i-file na sa amoa dugay ang proseso kasi i-file sa amoa, isaka sa taas, mubalik sa amoa, and filing sa court for election offense. Pag abot sa time na ma-file na sa court, mawala na ang mga tao nga nagfile. Why? kasi nag amigo na sila,” she said.
She said this is also one of the reasons why the complaint cannot be sustained until the end.
“Kay kalaban sila karon, filan niya ug kaso, and later on nag amigo na sila, kuyog pa sila,” she said.
