By Ferdinand G. Patinio
Candidates (l-r) Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Chiz Escudero, Sen. Gringo Honasan, Sen. Bongbong Marcos, Rep. Leni Robredo and Sen. Antonio Trillanes III pose for a group picture at the conclusion of the #PiliPinas2016 Vice Presidential Debates at the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday.(MNS photo)
MANILA (PNA) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that national candidates are no longer allowed to campaign since the overseas absentee voting (OAV) has already started,
With this, Comelec – Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) head Commissioner Arthur Lim said that the law prohibited campaigning activities as voting abroad was already commencing.
“Candidates are not allowed to campaign anymore. The law is clear that campaigning is prohibited during the voting period,” he said.
Lim is reacting on the petition filed before the Supreme Court (SC) asking to stop the poll body from implementing the ban on the holding of political campaigns in Filipino communities abroad.
The poll body official noted that they were just implementing the law in connection with the ban on campaigning for the OAV.
“The Comelec only implements what is in the law. The Comelec cannot be the one that breaks these laws,” said Lim
Based on Comelec Resolution No. 9981, campaigning abroad is prohibited from April 9 to May 9, which is the period for casting of votes by overseas voters.
Likewise, the Overseas Voting Act of 2013 provides that all forms of campaigning abroad within the 30-day overseas voting period shall be prohibited.
Aside from the provisions of the law, Lim said that imposing a ban was also practical.
“No campaigning while the elections are already being held is very basic. You should not campaign anymore and you should not meddle with our voters, it is already the voting period,” he explained.
As of 7 a.m.,Tuesday, there are already 95,547 Filipinos abroad that have already voted.
The OAV has a total of 1,376,067 registered voters.
In filing her petition filed on Monday, US-based tycoon Loida Nicolas Lewis said that banning such activity violated the constitutional right to assembly and freedom of expression. (PNA