One-year appointment ban for losing bets ends next week

MANILA, Philippines - Defeated candidates in the May 2013 elections may take various government posts starting next week.

“They can already be appointed to government. The one-year ban will end next week,” Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes told The STAR.

The Constitution bans the appointment of any candidate who has lost in an election to any office in the government, including government-owned or controlled corporations or subsidiaries, within one year after such election.

The same prohibition is provided under the Local Government Code, except for those who lost in the barangay elections.

Brillantes said the appointment of losing candidates before the ban is lifted is considered void.

“The reason why there is such a ban is for these people to take a break. They have been rejected by the people during the election so they have to take a rest first,” he said.