THE ten-day official campaign period for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023 which started on October 19, 2023 was successful with no violent election-related incidents reported to the Commission on Elections-Davao Region (Comelec-Davao) and Davao City Police Office (DCPO).
Lawyer Gay Enumerables, acting regional director of Comelec-Davao, cited in a media interview the security measures and ordinances being implemented in collaboration with the technical and security officials and the Comelec.
Enumerables, however, clarified that they already intensified the nationwide Operation Baklas on the first day of the campaign period as there were complaints about illegal posting of election paraphernalia.
“Naaksyonan nato sa Comelec, kaso nasanay na ang mga kandidato nga didto to sila gibutang, baklas nato to sya (We have taken action in the Comelec, it was because candidates are used to place their posters in that area, [so] we will remove them),” the official said.
Operation Baklas, or the removal of unlawful campaign materials started on October 20 and ends on 27. The appointed election officer of the Comelec shall issue a notice to remove and show-cause order to the candidates who willfully violate the posting restrictions. This will be under the supervision of the Task Force Anti-Epal.
Meanwhile, DCPO spokesperson Hazel Tuazon said their office continues to monitor the upcoming political process despite zero election-related incidents.
“Dili man gyud init ang sitwasyon pero naa man gud mga areas na mga kadugo lang ang magkatungali sa usa ka posisiyon karon pero ato pud gihapon nang i-monitor para dili napud muabot sa kasamok (The situation is not really that problematic but there are areas where relatives run in the same position now but we will still monitor it to avoid any troubles),” Tuazon added.
It can be recalled that during the official signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Comelec and the Ministry of Basic, Higher, Technical, and Education (MBHTE) in light of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023 and pursuant to Bangsamoro Autonomous Act No. 35, known as the "Bangsamoro Electoral Code", under (R.A.) No. 10756, otherwise known as the "Election Service'', earlier this month in Davao City, Comelec chairperson Atty. George Erwin Mojica Garcia affirmed that candidates who violated laws on campaign materials under the Omnibus Election Code will be disqualified to run in the said poll.
“Hindi mag-aatubili ang Comelec na ipatupad ang ating batas mag-disqualify ng ating mga kandidato at tanggalin ang lahat na illegally posted materials sa mga susunod na araw. Sana ma-ireport sa atin sa Comelec yung mga maling gawain na yan (The Comelec will not hesitate to enforce our law to disqualify our candidates and remove all illegally posted materials in the next few days. I hope those wrongdoings can be reported to the Comelec),” Garcia emphasized. DEF