MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is now explicitly included in the long list of people and agencies exempted from the election gun ban that will be implemented by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in connection with the May 2016 polls.
Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10015 promulgated on Nov. 13, President Aquino is authorized to carry firearms during the election period from Jan. 10 to June 8 next year.
In the 2013 midterm elections, the President was not in the list of people exempted from the gun ban. He, however, was able to secure an exemption for the gun that he was using for practical shooting.
Also exempted are Vice President Jejomar Binay; senators and members of the House of Representatives that are not candidates; Cabinet secretaries; justices of the Supreme Court; justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals; judges of trial courts; ombudsman and deputy ombudsmen; chairman and commissioners of the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit and Commission on Human Rights; Comelec officials and security personnel of foreign diplomatic corps, missions and establishments under international law.
The others covered by the exemption are regular members, officers and agents of law enforcement or government security agencies like the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Intelligence and Investigation Divisions of the Bureau of Customs, Port Police Department, Philippine Economic Zone Authority police forces, government guard units, intelligence division of the Bureau of Immigration and Manila International Airport Authority police force.
The resolution showed that cashiers and disbursing officers or persons who “habitually” carry large sums of money or valuables and members of private security service providers are likewise not covered by the gun restriction.
Meanwhile, the Comelec said that qualified persons may apply for gun ban exemption for their bodyguards at the agency’s committee on the ban on firearms and security personnel.
The Comelec added that unless there is a written authorization from the poll body, a person is not allowed to carry firearms or to employ a bodyguard.
Source code review
Meanwhile, the Comelec will be accepting more participants in the ongoing review of the source code of the optical mark reader (OMR) machines at the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila.
The source code pertains to the alpha-numeric human readable instruction on how the OMR machines should run.
The review covers the election management system, vote counting machines and consolidation and canvassing system.
Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10014 dated Nov. 11, the guidelines for participating groups or parties and their respective reviewers have been amended to be able to accommodate new reviewers.
The Comelec has removed the limit on the number of information technology (IT) groups that can do the review. The agency now allows civil society groups involved in election reform activities to participate in the evaluation.