Look beyond campaign propaganda, voters urged

Comelec chairman Andres Bautista (left) exchanges documents with Yongson Huan, Gaisano Capital Group finance manager, after signing an agreement for Gaisano Capital mall branches to be used as venues for voter’s biometrics registration.
(CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)

Filipino voters should look beyond the campaign propaganda in the  stream of commercials of politicians who will run in next year’s elections.

“There are those who say they just want people to feel their presence or to be known to many. Of course, premature campaigning is not illegal. But this has nothing to do with legalities anymore. What we are talking of here has something to do with morals,” said Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista.

Bautista was  in Cebu City yesterday to sign an agreement with the Gaisano Capital Group  whose malls will host  biometrics registration of voters in Cebu until Oct. 31.

READ: Comelec bares final schedule of activities

In a press conference,  Bautista called on legislators to amend the law to stop premature campaigning.

“Our law has a defect. It should be amended. The Supreme Court, in its ruling, said premature campaigning can only be committed during the campaign period. If we go by that reasoning, then any violations during the campaign period are no longer premature,” he said.

Debates
Bautista said premature campaigning works in favor of candidates who don’t have to limit their expenses since the official campaign period has not yet started which is Feb. 9, 2016 for national officials and March 25 for local officials.

Bautista said there were proposals to extend the  campaign period to 120 days to stop premature campaigning, but the election law hasn’t been amended.

“I think our voters are intelligent to see through the actions of  would-be candidates,” he said.

Bautista said the  Comelec will hold three presidential debates next year.

One will be in Luzon, the other in the Visayas, and another in Mindanao, he said.

The Comelec is exploring ways to  tap shopping malls as voting precincts during the elections.

He said the Comelec’s legal division approved the plan and  will hold public consultations on this afterward.

Only residents of the area where the malls are located can vote there, if the new policy is approved, he clarified.