At least 470 candidates for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) may be disqualified for engaging in premature campaigning and for violating election rules, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday.
Comelec data revealed that the 470 candidates have already been issued show-cause orders.
Comelec chairman George Garcia said the number of election violators may increase in the coming weeks, as he repeatedly warned against early campaigning with the campaign period only running from October 19 to October 28.
To hasten the delivery of show-cause orders against election violators, the Comelec will send cause orders through email to barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan aspirants.
“We will issue the show cause orders faster. We will send them through email. We will send the show cause orders there so that we don’t have to use the postal offices because that takes quite a while,” the poll chief said.
The Comelec said there are over 1.4 million people who filed their certificates of candidacy for the 2023 barangay and SK elections.
However, Garcia assured candidates will be allowed to explain their sides to determine whether the poll body would file complaints against them.
The Comelec has also created a task force to monitor premature campaigning.
The Comelec meanwhile said it has exempted the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) programs from the ban on the implementation of projects ahead of the BSKE.
In a memo, the poll body approved the exemption of DOLE’s various assistance and employment programs.
In related news, Garcia urged the Senate to restore at least P5 billion in Comelec’s proposed budget for 2024 in the wake of their preparation for the 2025 midterm elections and the upcoming BSKE.
During the Senate subcommittee on Finance hearing, Garcia said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved only P27.44 billion for the Comelec under the 2024 National Expenditure Program.
This is far from the P43.7 billion the Comelec is asking for next year. He noted that of the more than P27 billion funds, P22.938 billion was allocated to prepare for 2025 national and local elections.
With this, Garcia said only P4.6 billion will remain for their personnel services and capital outlay.
Garcia noted that if the budget cut will not be restored, they will encounter difficulties in preparing for the 2025 elections. With Macon Ramos-Araneta
