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Friday, October 19, 2007
Poll aspirants told: Limit expense
CEBU CITY -- Candidates for the barangay and Sangguaniang Kabataan (SK) elections should spend only P3 for every registered voter during their campaign, which officially starts Friday.
They have until October 27 to persuade voters to support them during the elections on Monday, October 29, which Malacañang has declared a special non-working holiday.
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Cebu City North District Election Officer Marchel Sarno also reminded candidates to account for their expenses during the campaign. Otherwise, they will not be able to assume their positions if they do win.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) accepted applications until midnight Thursday, the last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy.
The candidates include reelectionist Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos and two militant group leaders and some newspaper and radio reporters.
Sarno said that within three days after the deadline, his office will report to Comelec Manila the candidates who have not undergone the required drug tests and are not registered in the barangay where they have chosen to run.
“It is the ministerial duty of Comelec to accept these completely filled certificates. If the candidate is not a registered voter, his opponent or the constituents could file a complaint against him," said Sarno.
Comelec, in coordination with the Philippine National Police, is also getting ready to issue additional instructions for areas where there is intense political rivalry or an armed group.
Comelec has set September 29 to November 13 as the election period, which means the gun ban will be enforced on these days.
The ban covers bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons and the use of security personnel or bodyguards. Any member of a security force or police organization and other similar groups has to secure an exemption from the prohibition.
Friday is the first day that the Provincial Comelec Office will accept petitions for disqualification. Petitioners have until Tuesday to file their complaint.
Section 10 of Comelec Resolution 8297 provides that petitions for disqualification shall be filed directly with the Office of the Provincial Election Supervisor within five days from the last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy.
The filing fee is at P3,000, plus P50 legal research fee. The petitioner must submit 10 copies and one additional copy for every respondent.
The Provincial Election Supervisor’s Office will also receive the evidence, conduct hearings and submit recommendations to Comelec Manila.
Meanwhile, supplies and ballot boxes already arrived from Manila.
Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said the Comelec head office has granted their request for 12,161 ballot boxes for Cebu Province and Cebu City.
A Comelec resolution allowed the use of the ballot boxes that were used in the 2004 elections.
But Cebu’s ballot boxes are in Manila because of the pending protest of defeated vice presidential bet Loren Legarda against Vice President Noli de Castro.
This is the reason Castillano requested Manila to send ballot boxes to Cebu for the October 29 elections.
Last Wednesday, Comelec promulgated a resolution allowing the opening and disposal of the contents of the ballot boxes under protest.
Castillano, however, said the resolution came late because Cebu’s ballot boxes are still in Manila and the ballot boxes fpor the barangay and SK polls were already shipped.
Cleofe Gonzaga of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office said 5,889 ballot boxes are ready for the municipalities of Cebu.
The ballot boxes for the nine cities were delivered straight to their respective City Treasurer’s Offices. (NRC & MBG of Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (October 19, 2007 issue)
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