LESS than a month before the September 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is warning candidates, political parties, and sectoral organizations against violating campaign rules.
In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body will not hesitate to disqualify those who violate campaign rules and regulations or even suspend the proclamation of winning candidates.
“We have actually cancelled political party registrations and disqualified candidates who failed to comply with the rules. This means we will not hesitate to take such action if we observe violations of the basic campaign requirements,” Garcia said.
“As for vote-buying — go ahead and do it. The moment we witness it or receive a complaint, we will act immediately. It is within our authority to withhold the proclamation of candidates if such issues arise; we have the power to suspend their proclamation,” he added.
So far, the poll chief noted that there are still unlawful campaign materials in different parts of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
He said they have observed oversized and illegally placed campaign materials.
“There are campaign materials that are huge. There are also those out on the streets. We’ve seen these large campaign materials, and we are having them taken down,” Garcia said.
On the other hand, he said they have yet to receive any reports of vote-buying activities involving candidates, political parties, or sectoral organizations.
“No complaints have been received so far, but task forces in the provinces and cities will intensify their campaign against vote-buying,” Garcia said.
The campaign period for the Bangsamoro parliamentary polls began on July 30 and will end on September 12, 2026. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
