2022 poll candidates urged to avoid holding sorties
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Monday urged candidates for next year’s elections to avoid holding campaign sorties that will result in overcrowding.
“We are again appealing to officials and candidates to avoid holding gatherings and events that we know will cause overcrowding and might cause infections in the coming days or weeks,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Filipino.
The DOH made the remark after the visit of presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija drew large crowds.
“Christmas is approaching so we hope we can keep the number of cases low so we can have a happy Christmas,” Vergeire said.
Daily cases in the Philippines have declined, with the DOH reporting 543 new coronavirus infections on Monday.
The Commission on Elections set the campaign period from February 8 to May 7, 2022 for national positions; and from March 25 to May 7, 2022 for members of House of Representatives and local positions. Candidates, however, are already holding activities ahead of the official campaign period.
According to a guideline issued by the Comelec, handshaking, hugging and kissing and other similar activities are strictly prohibited during in-person campaigning as the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Any form of physical contact during in-person campaigning is a violation of the Omnibus Election Code, which could lead to the disqualification of a candidate to hold public office.
Crowding around candidates and their companions for face-to-face campaigning is also banned as this violates the protocols set by the government for social gathering. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
Get the latest updates on the Philippines' preparation for the May 2022 national elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Main image by The STAR/Michael Varcas
Local executives are optimistic of peaceful elections on Monday in North Cotabato and Basilan provinces.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza says Saturday she is thankful to the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade of the 6th Infantry Division and units of the Eastern Mindanao Command in the province for supporting extensively the efforts of the Commission on Elections to ensure the safety of polling activities on Monday.
“We are also thankful to the Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Police Regional Office-12 for their initiatives towards that goal. We are looking forward to a peaceful electoral exercise in our province on Monday,” Mendoza says. — The STAR/John Unson
Comelec names Director John Rex Laudiangco as the new spokesperson of the commission, replacing James Jimenez.
May 9, election day, has been declared a special non-working holiday.
In a proclamation released Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the holiday "to enable the people to properly exercise their right to vote, subject to the public health measures of the national government." — report from Alexis Romero
READ: Proclamation No. 1357 declaring May 9, election day, a special non-working holiday @PhilippineStar @Philstarnews pic.twitter.com/EvUUNb8Yuf
— Alexis B. Romero (@alexisbromero) May 5, 2022
The Bangsamoro police has mobilized 6,347 personnel to guard 1,195 polling sites in five provinces under its jurisdiction.
Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, says Thursday the contingent includes 706 Reaction Standby Support Force and 405 Quick Reactionary Force personnel for deployment to Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces.
Tension has markedly been high in some towns in both provinces owing to the deep-seated political animosity among local clans.
Besides Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also covers the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato. — John Unson
The Commission on Election starts the distribution and conduct of the testing and sealing of the vote counting machines (VCMs) six days prior to the election day in the remote and far flung villages in Zamboanga City.
The early distribution of the VCMs was made with the authority of the Comelec central office following the recommendation of the local poll body here, says District 2 officer Atty. Stephen Roy Cañete.
“We asked permission and we were given the authority by the Comelec central office to start the distribution of the VMCs early. In case there will be glitches we still have enough time to replace the defective VCM,” Cañete says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño
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