(Eagle News)—-Authorities have vowed to go after those violating rules and regulations as the campaign period for local candidates kicks off today, Friday, March 29.
National Capital Region Police Office director Guillermo Eleazar said they would “increase the frequency of checkpoints in the metropolis to help deter criminal minds in executing their evil designs,” as “local election campaign periods have shown traditionally, that there is more conflict and tension in the air.”
Eleazar also reminded the candidates “to refrain from vote-buying as this is a criminal act..”
We will arrest “arrest anybody involved in vote-buying, on the spot,” he said.
The Commission on Elections, for its part, has vowed to crack down on illegal campaign paraphernalia, reminding local candidates in particular on Tuesday, March 26, to “immediately remove all prohibited forms of election propaganda at least 72 hours before the start of the campaign period.”
Local candidates include those running for a seat in the House of Representatives, for provincial governor, provincial vice governor, member of the provincial council, mayor, vice mayor, member of the city council, and member of the municipal council, the Comelec said.
According to the poll body, prohibited forms of propaganda include “those that are posted outside of common poster areas, in public places or in private properties without the consent of the owner.”
“Otherwise, said candidate or party shall be presumed to have committed the pertinent election offense during said campaign period for local candidates as the case may be,” the Comelec said.
A day after, the poll body reiterated a Health Secretary Francisco Duque III’s policy against “visual displays and campaign paraphernalia in all (Department of Health) centers for health development, medical centers, and other public buildings.”
This was after the Comelec called for the taking down of Malasakit Center posters bearing the name and image of a senatorial candidate in time for the Nurse Licensure Exam in 2019 in government-run hospitals.
The elections are slated in May.
