BACOLOD City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a total of 125 show cause orders to candidates partaking in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Occidental.
These orders are in response to allegations of campaigning before the stipulated campaign period, which spans from October 19 to 28.
Candidates of the BSKE are explicitly prohibited from advocating their views on social media, displaying campaign materials on public roads, or creating election-related materials prior to the commencement of the official campaign window.
Comelec-Negros Occidental Elections Supervisor, Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria, revealed that nine additional instances of premature campaigning were identified in Bago City and another nine in Calatrava.
Moreover, summons were dispatched to five BSKE candidates allegedly indulging in vote-buying endeavors.
Vote-buying and vote-selling involve the act of “giving, offering, or promising money or any item of value, either directly or indirectly, to sway someone’s voting decision for or against a particular candidate.”
These actions are classified as election offenses under the Omnibus Election Code. Those found guilty may face one to six years of imprisonment, disqualification from public service, and the stripping of voting rights.
While the provincial Comelec office anticipates a surge in complaints, Ananoria remarked that no instances of intense political rivalry have been reported as of now. Earlier, the national Comelec office indicated its intention to instigate at least 40 vote-buying cases before the campaign period’s onset.
On another note, Ananoria stated that the provincial election commission held discussions with the Central Negros Electric Cooperative’s representatives. They received assurances that there would be no power outages on the election day, scheduled for October 30. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
