THE campaign period for senators and party-list representatives is from Feb. 12 to May 11 next year. For members of the House of Representatives and regional, provincial, city, and municipal officials the campaign period is from March 30 to May 11 also next year. The gun ban is from Jan. 13, 2019 until June 12, 2019. This is the calendar for the May 13, 2019 elections.
The campaign period is still a long way from today, but don’t be surprised if some candidates start going around town talking to people and appearing as guest or speaker in social gatherings or meetings of social clubs.
There is no law that prohibits a candidate from campaigning before the campaign period officially begins, this, according to Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano in a “Frankahay Ta” (dyCM 1152 AM) interview last Thursday.
Is campaigning early good for the voters? Yes, because this gives them more time to know the candidates and their platform of governance. But it is unfair for candidates who don’t have enough funds or are running as independent.
Happy days are here again? It’s election season and the atmosphere would be like a town fiesta soon. Candidates’ streamers would be all over the place even in areas not officially designated for them.
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Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is not running for senator. Last Monday, she, together with her party mates, filed their respective certificates of candidacy (COC) before the Comelec. She is gunning for reelection.
Mayor Sara, in a poll survey, landed in the top five among possible senatorial candidates. Many didn’t believe she was not interested in a Senate seat because of the survey results. Also, she organized the Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
But is Mayor Sara not really running for senator? I wish she would reconsider.
Call me parochial, but if Sara runs for senator I would vote for her not because she is a presidential daughter but because she is Bisaya and from Mindanao where I come from. Besides, she is a lawyer. We need more of her kind in the Senate.
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The political lines in Mandaue City are marked. Rep. Jonas Cortes is challenging Mayor Luigi Quisumbing, his party mate in the last elections when they both ran and won under the Liberal Party. Cortes and his party mates filed on Monday their certificates of candidacy (COC). Quisumbing and his group are expected to file their COCs today.
Cortes has his reasons for returning as Mandaue City mayor. Quisumbing also has many reasons to want to keep his post. Hence, the conflict. What these two gentlemen agreed before in the elections only they know it. The Mandauehanons are not privy to it.
Some voters are broken hearted. They still wish the two would run as party mates. But it is too late in the day for them to reconcile. Efforts by their henchmen to patch things up failed. So, is it may the best man win?
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his party mates filed their COCs on Monday. Vice Mayor Edgar Labella and his team are filing their COCs today allegedly because of feng shui.
It’s Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos versus former mayor Mike Rama for vice mayor. They were party mates before she joined the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan. Not weird though under our political system and practices.