Candidates who will not remove such posters within three days after receipt of notice will be slapped with charges, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. warned on Wednesday.
“Wala naman kaming taong magtatanggal ng dinidikit nila (candidates). ‘Pag di nila tinanggal after three days from notice mag-uumpisa na kami mag-file ng charges,” said Brillantes in an ambush interview in San Juan where he was attending an event by good governance group Kaya Natin!.
He admitted that as of Wednesday, the second of the 90-day campaign period for national candidates, all the Comelec could do was monitor and issue warnings regarding violations on election rules.
“Tignan natin within the next few days. Probably by the weekend, tapos na ho yung three days, baka makakita na tayo ng konting galaw from us. Ngayon, puro warning lang ho kami. ‘Yung mga nagdidikit, okay, ‘di pa namin kayo hahabulin pero tatanggalin din niyo ‘yan,” he said
“‘Pag ‘di niyo tinanggal, kayo na ho ang bahala. Kami naman ang bahala sa inyo,” he added.
Brillantes appealed to candidates who violate campaign rules not to risk possible consequences that may jeopardize their candidacy.
“Kaya pakiusap ko sa mga kandidato wag na kayong mag-risk kasi kung idemanda namin kayo doon lang medyo masisira na kampanya niyo e at malamang matalo pa kayo,” he said.
“We’re giving them a chance. I’m announcing ‘yung mga nagdidikit diyan nang hindi tama tanggalin niyo na ho o kaya wag niyo na ituloy para ‘di na tayo magkahirapan pa kasi hindi ho pwedeng hindi kami mag-charge,” he added.
Candidates who will ignore Brillantes’ warnings are punishable under Section 264 of the Omnibus Election Code. The provision states that any person found guilty of any election offense shall be punished with imprisonment from one to six years and shall not be subject to probation. The guilty party shall also be sentenced to disqualification to hold public office and will be deprived of the right to vote. — KBK, GMA News
