Sanchez: Compliance

SO FAR, so good. I went around the other day and by and large saw only commercial billboards.

Congratulations, Commission on Elections (Comelec). I agree with Negros Occidental Provincial Election supervisor Milagros Salud Villanueva who said there are initially lesser election violations this campaign season compared to the 2016 elections.

“Although there are violations at the onset of the campaign period for senators and party-list groups, it's minimal compared to the violations last election. Even the campaign materials, it's lesser now compared to the previous election,” Villanueva said.

Comelec sent “notices” to over 30 poll candidates for them to take down their campaign posters that violated specific rules.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon ticked off the names of violators: Larry Gadon, Florin Hilbay, Erin Tanada, Bam Aquino and Sonny Angara who are gunning for Senate seats. Pro-administration and opposition candidates have been warned.

The Negrense poll commissioner said, “if they do not take it down, i-presume namin sa Comelec na sa kanila yan. Di mo pwede i-deny yan. Di pwede yun kasi presume namin na iyo yan. Pag di mo yan tinanggal, may ebidensya, mahahawakan yan ng election officer, may ebidensya na against you. Magstart na proceedings for violation ng aming rules at fair elections act.”

“Fiat justitia ruat cælum,” a Latin legal phrase, meaning “Let justice be done through the heavens fall.” Or in colloquial English, “Sic ‘em.” We, the electorate, are obligated to vote for candidates who can make the rules and enforce them. We do not want to votes who flaunt the rules. Compliance is the name of the game.

The Comelec rules said that candidates to strictly observe the campaign rules, such as placing their campaign materials at designated common poster areas.

The candidates use more social media for their campaign. However, candidates don’t get a pass on the rules for social media. Comelec ordered all political parties and candidates to register the website name and web address of the official blog or social media page that would be used to disseminate their online campaign materials.

Under the resolution, website owners or administrators are now required to submit to the Comelec certified true copies of broadcast logs, certificates of performance, affidavits of publication, and other records to allow the poll body to include it in the computation of a candidate's expenditures.

The campaign period for senators and party-lists groups has started on February 12 while the campaign period for local candidates will kick off on March 29.

So vote wisely. Vote for those who can follow the rules. If Comelec enforces its rules, then change has come for Filipinos who find it hard to follow rules.

(bqsanc@yahoomail.com)

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