Comelec ready for barangay polls (Sun.Star, Thursday, October 04, 2007)

Comelec ready for barangay polls
By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -– Would-be candidates are now more “jittery” as the Senate decided otherwise on move of majority of congressmen to cancel the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to May of next year.

According to Yoy Yalung, Election Assistant of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional office, the elections would push through “come hell or high water.”

“Our election officers are finalizing the list of registered voters for release to would-be candidates and the office had announced the schedules for our aspiring candidates,” Yalung said.

The Comelec had designated September 29 until October 18 as the timeframe for filing of Certificates of Candidacy (CoC).

The campaign period, on the other hand, would start on October 19 to 27.

However, the Comelec is reiterating that candidates should avoid putting streamers and campaign materials.

“Sa kasalukuyan wala parin tayong magagawa sa mga naglalagay ng kanilang mga campaign materials kasi kung ang batas ang susundin hindi pa sila candidate hanggang hindi sila nagfile ng CoC (For now there is nothing we can do to those putting up there campaign materials for if we follow the law, these people can’t be considered yet as candidates for they have not filed their Coc),” Yalung said, adding that there is yet no resolution issued by the Comelec national office on the procedures for the conduct of the elections.

Provisions of the Fair Elections act prohibit electioneering before and after the campaign period for candidates.

Reports have been circulating that some aspiring candidates in Angeles, San Fernando, and Mabalacat have been “zealously” putting up campaign paraphernalia despite the fact that the campaign period have not yet commenced.