A candidate for barangay chairman was shot and seriously hurt in Quezon province, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Saturday, the second such shooting in October. The first victim was running for barangay councilor in Bucay, Abra.
Candidates were also reminded that the campaign period for the Baranagay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) will end on Saturday, Oct. 28, and that no campaigning will be allowed on Sunday.
Meanwhile, more than 100 candidates will face charges for vote buying.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said candidates with pending cases would not be proclaimed.
“Candidates buying votes may face disqualification as well as imprisonment of one to six years. Vote sellers, he added, may also be imprisoned for the same period,” he said.
Gracia identified the ambush victim in Quezon as Ruben Ilagan Pasia, 63, a resident of Barangay Malaya, General Luna, Quezon.
He added that the police have been alerted to the increase in election-related violence.
The poll chief also urged the public to help the Comelec fight vote-buying, fake news, violence and terrorism.
The Omnibus Election Code states that the campaign period shall not include the day before and the day of the election.
Garcia reiterated that campaigning outside of the campaign period is prohibited by law, and shall be considered an election offense.
“To those who will defy, be ready to face the full force of the law and the consequences of your illegal acts,” he said.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada said it was important to give priority to maintaining peace and order during the BSKE, which he said is a crucial part of the democratic process.
“We urge all candidates and their supporters to peacefully participate in the democratic exercise while abiding by the rule of law and adhering to election regulations,” Estrada said.
“Any form of violence, intimidation, or disruption will and should not be tolerated,” he added.
Also on Friday, the city government of Manila urged registered voters in the nation’s capital to participate in the nationwide BSKE and be prudent in their choice of future leaders.
“In the previous days of campaigning, we hope that you have already assessed carefully who we think deserves our trust,” Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said in a recorded video message, speaking in Filipino.
She said winners of the upcoming BSKE will play a “very significant role” in the delivery of public service to their communities, so voters must exercise prudence.
“They are the ones that we can immediately go or run to. They are closer to us and we know them. That’s why we should value our votes,” she added.
Lacuna also urged all running candidates to be gracious in accepting the results of the Oct. 30 polls, noting the need for fair and peaceful elections.
“Let’s be humble in accepting the verdict of our constituents. Be magnanimous in victory, gracious in defeat,” she said.
Lacuna signed on Thursday Executive Order No. 34 imposing a liquor ban from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
This means all selling and consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited to ensure the peaceful conduct of BSKE, as well as the Undas 2023.
Manila Public Information Office (PIO) chief Princess Abante warned that liquor ban violators may be sentenced to one to six years imprisonment under the Omnibus Election Code.
