ILOILO City – There will be no reshuffling of regional directors, provincial election supervisors, and city and municipal election officers in line with the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Atty. Dennis Ausan, regional director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 6, said movement of personnel will only be conducted if an election officer has a close relative who is an aspirant.
“Wala kita reshuffling or personnel movement, except kon klaro gid nga disqualify by reason of relationship sa kandidato,” he said.
Reshuffling aims to ensure fair elections in certain instances, for example, when an election officer’s child runs for SK chair or the spouse runs for barangay captain.
“We have to move them out. But for any other reason/s, waay kita or indi kita magpatigayon sang reshuffling,” Ausan added.
A reshuffling of the regional director, provincial election supervisor, and city election officer is only conducted during the national and local elections.
They were reshuffled at the beginning of the election period and returned to their original posts afterward.
Ausan was assigned to Central Visayas, or Region 7, covering the provinces of Bohol, Siquijor, Cebu, and Negros Oriental in the May 2022 elections.
Provincial election supervisors and city election officers are rotated to other provinces or cities within the region.
On Monday, Aug. 28, the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the barangay and SK elections began.
Candidates are reminded that the official campaign period is only from Oct. 18 to 28.
A candidate doing premature campaigning faces a charge for violating election rules and regulations and may be disqualified.
“It’s already an election offense just like sa liquor ban and gun ban pareho lang penalty. Though sa incumbent kon may ara sila administration infraction puede sila ma-file-lan sang administrative case,” explained Ausan.
A candidate doing premature campaigning faces a charge for violating election rules and regulations and may be disqualified.
Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code states: “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.”
Acts considered premature campaigning include:
* putting up or attaching posters or campaign materials in public places
* going to houses to campaign
* even posting posters or campaign materials on social media sites
The important dates for the 2023 barangay and SK elections are:
* August 28 to November 29 – election period, gun ban
* August 28 to September 2 – filing of certificate of candidacy
* September 3 to October 18 – campaign is prohibited
* October 19 to October 28 – campaign period
* October 29 to October 30 – campaigning is prohibited, liquor ban
* October 30 – election day (voting hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
* November 29 – last day to file Statement of Contributions and Expenditures./PN
