InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines -- The Commission on Elections asked the pubic to monitor national and local candidates who might take advantage of All Saints and All Souls Day by putting up streamers and tarpaulin in cemeteries.
“Bantayan natin yung Undas. Tingnan natin kapag hindi napuno yung mga sementeryo ng mga tarpaulin at posters,” said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr.
He added what the people should do is to document the scenes by taking pictures of those who would take advantage of the occasion.
“Magandang kuhanan yun tapos ilabas natin tapos sabihin natin eto, tandaan niyo hindi dapat iboto pagdating ng May,” Brillantes said.
The Comelec chief said he would no longer be surprised if prospective candidates would use the celebration to promote themselves since there is no one who would prevent them.
“It’s always a problem because they can always take advantage of such fact that there’s no premature campaigning. We don’t have a law,” Brillantes said.
However, he appealed to the conscience of the possible candidates.
“I’am addressing it to the conscience of candidates. Siguro may pumipitik naman na konti na hindi tama yung ginagawa nyo---ang sinasabi ko lang don’t take advantage naman of the others who cannot afford it,” he said.
Republic Act 9369 states that: “Any person, who files his certificate of candidacy, shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period”.
