Barangay and SK Campaign Period Officially Starts

Philippines - Candidates will start putting up their posters and playing their jingles today as the campaign period for the October 25 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls begins.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 9043 states that the campaign period for the October 25 polls is from October 14, 2010 to October 23, 2010.

And since candidates often post their campaign posters anywhere, the Comelec reminded candidates to post only in common poster areas such as plazas, markets, barangay centers and the like.

“The posting of campaign materials in public places outside of the designated common poster areas such as streets, bridges, public structures or buildings, trees, electric posts or wires, schools, shrines, main thoroughfares and the like is prohibited,” Section 8 of the said resolution read.

The campaign materials, however, should be according to the prescribed size. For flyers 8 ½ x 14 inches, for poster 2x3 feet and for streamers 3x8 feet.

Other prohibited acts during the campaign period are written below:

-it is unlawful for any person to remove, destroy, obliterate or, in any manner, deface or tamper with, or prevent the distribution of any lawful election propaganda.

-It is unlawful for any candidate, group, organization, and/or coalition thereof, or any person to give or accept, free of charge, directly or indirectly, transportation, food and drinks, or anything of value during and within the five (5) hours before and after a public meeting, or to give or contribute, directly or indirectly, money or things of value for such purpose.

-It is illegal for any person to hold dances, lotteries, cockfights, games, boxing, bingo, beauty contests, entertainments, or cinematographic, theatrical or other performances for the purpose of raising funds for an election campaign or for the support of any candidate from the commencement of the election period up to and including election day, or for any person or organization, whether civic or religious, directly or indirectly to solicit and/or accept from any candidate or from his campaign manager, agent or representative, or from any person acting in his behalf, any gift, food, transportation, contribution, or donation in cash or in kind during the same period.

-No candidate, his or her spouse or any relative within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, or his campaign manager, agent or representative, shall, from the start of the campaign period up to election day, directly or indirectly, make any donation, contribution, gift in cash or in kind, or undertake or contribute to the construction or repair of roads, bridges, schoolhouses, puericulture centers, medical clinics and hospitals, churches or chapels, cement pavements, or any structure for public use or for the use of any religious or civic organization.

On the other hand, Comelec Resolution No. 9019 prohibits the use of armored, land, water, air craft; appointing or using special policemen, special and confidential agents or the like and construction or maintenance of provincial, city, municipal or barangay-funded, roads and bridges.

Any violation of the said resolution, the Comelec said, shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six (6) years and shall not be subject to probation.

In addition, the guilty party shall also be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage.

Leslie Ann Aquino, Manila Bulletin