Comelec closes eyes on gift-giving

Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials can only close their eyes as they can do nothing when 2010 election candidates wage a gift-giving spree this yuletide season.
Davao del Norte acting provincial election supervisor III Marlon S. Casquejo said no policy has been issued regarding such acts before the election period which is due to start on January 10, 2010.
“Pananglitan ang kandidato manghatag ug payong, piyong na lang mi ana kay wala man mi’y mabuhat. (For instance a candidate gives away umbrellas, we just have to close our eyes because there is nothing we can do about that.),” he said.
“Wala na gi-allow pero wala pud mi mabuhat. (It is not allowed, but there’s nothing we can do.),” he added.
A lawyer, Casquejo cited a Supreme Court decision that a person who has filed his or her certificate of candidacy can only be considered as official candidate during the campaign period.
With such a SC decision, discussing of and laying down of platforms of governance would just be considered an act of „freedom of expression,” provided election candidates do not categorically ask people to vote for them as such act would be considered „premature campaigning,” Casquejo explained.
The Comelec has set the campaign period to start on February 09, 2010 for national election candidates and on March 26, 2010 for local candidates while the election period will set off on January 10 and end on June 30.
Casquejo viewed the early filing of candidacy (which ended midnight of December 01, 2009) as an opportune time for the public to know more about the candidates aside from giving time for the Comelec to prepare the holding of the first automated national election in 2010.
Casquejo said the 40-day campaign period is too short for candidates to fully discuss their platform of governance, thereby not allowing the electorate to know more about those whom they want to vote for.
The campaign period for local and national levels will both end on May 08, 2010.
Meanwhile, Casquejo revealed no policy yet has been issued prohibiting government workers and employees to discuss, whether in print or broadcast, about incumbent officials running for next year’s election.
Casquejo explained that the Fair Elections Act, which involves the use of the media, applies only during the campaign period, and that the general prohibitions during election period are the gun ban, hiring, transfer of personnel, among others.
But Casquejo looks forward to receiving a policy on prohibited acts of government employees before election period comes, by January next year.  [PIA 11]