Voters urged: Junk pols in premature campaigning

MANILA, Philippines — Don’t vote for candidates who engaged in premature campaigning, an election watch group urged voters yesterday.

Rona Caritos, acting executive director of Legal Network for Truthful Elections, said candidates who are taking advantage of the loopholes in the law on premature campaigning should not be given the chance to win.

“We are asking voters not to vote for these candidates,” Caritos added.

“These candidates are taking advantage of that loophole (in the law). You can just see their attitude of taking advantage of the loopholes. You’ll know how they will react when they are in office,” Caritos explained.

To teach the politicians a lesson, Caritos said, voters should take them out of the list of candidates they are voting for in the May 2019 elections.

Caritos also urged the public to post on social media the names of the candidates.

“Let us publicize these candidates and politicians taking advantage of this loophole. Maybe they will feel ashamed,” Caritos noted.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier reported that almost all candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for senator are engaging in premature campaigning.

“Candidates and politicians are affected by this reform (punishing premature campaigning), so most probably that reform won’t see the light of day,” Caritos said.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez maintained that the poll body cannot stop aspirants from engaging in premature campaigning since there is no law that prohibits it.

Under existing law, any person who files his COC shall only be considered a candidate at the start of the campaign period on Feb. 12 for national positions and March 29 for those running in the local polls.