The COMELEC encouraged lawmakers to fix “loopholes” in premature campaigning.
COMELEC — On Tuesday, the Commission on Elections encouraged lawmakers to fix the “loopholes” in premature campaigning.
COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez called on lawmakers to amend the existing election law that has allowed caravans and political rallies to be conducted since it wasn’t necessarily considered as premature campaigning.
“Palagi namin yun pinananawagan sa mga mambabatas na kailangan baguhin na yan,” Jimenez said in an interview on DZBB.
Technically, Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9369 or the amended automated election law stated that there were still no candidates as those who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) remained to be aspirants.
Jimenez had earlier said in a tweet that election rules “still don’t apply to would-be candidates”.
Because of this prevailing measure, others who didn’t have the capacity to organize such rallies and campaign activities were left out since they didn’t gain the same popularity that other more powerful political aspirants have been attaining in the past few weeks.
“Hindi na balanse ang ating playing field dahil nga dito sa loophole na ito,” Jimenez said.
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Meanwhile, the poll body said that while it agreed with the recent pronouncement of the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) on the prohibition on the conduct of political rallies, the problem lies with who will be enforcing it.
Jimenez mentioned that the enforcement of the prohibition should fall within the jurisdiction of the DILG as well as the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).
In addition, Jimenez said that one of the problems were huge political rallies and gatherings where people stayed in one particular area which can potentially become superspreader events as opposed to political motorcades and caravans in open spaces where transmission of COVID-19 was minimal.
Jimenez also said that when it comes to the actual campaign period in 2022, they have already formulated the specific guidelines to be followed but it still didn’t apply to the political aspirants.
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