comelec – CITY OF NAGA

Comelec: ‘Don’t use guns, goons and gold’

CEPPIO Naga — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

THE Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in its resolution promulgated March 22, this year, has warned the public that transporting or carrying of “firearms or other deadly weapons in public places” is prohibited during the election period set for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections that will begin from August 28 to November 29, 2023.

Atty. Maico Julia Jr., election officer at the Comelec Naga, said that even if the possessor is licensed to carry the same, he/she would still be arrested unless authorized in writing by the Commission.

He said that the multi-agency task force, which was constituted with the Department of Justice, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines as partners, aims to show the candidates and the public that the government is serious in implementing the election law against its violators and preventing vote-buying incidents.

In its revised schedule of activities and periods of certain prohibited acts (Resolution 10902), the poll body also advised the candidates not to use security personnel or bodyguards during such period within which raising of funds, thru dances, lotteries, and cockfights and other means to generate funds are also forbidden as provided for in Sec. 97 of the Omnibus Election Code.

Election period

Other acts declared prohibited by the Comelec during the election period: alteration of territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct, vote-buying and vote-selling, wagering upon result of election, suspension of local elective officials;

Transfer or detail of officers and employees in the civil service, including public school teachers, coercing, threatening or terrorizing any election official or employee in the performance of his/her election functions or duties. These acts are declared prohibited until proclamation of winning candidates.

“Illegal release of prisoners before and after elections are one of the prohibited acts that we have to watch along with other unaccepted or unapproved undertakings i.e. the organization of reaction forces, strike forces or similar forces as cited in Section 261 of the election code,” he said.

Filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) is set on August 28 to September 2, this year. “The COC does not serve as warrant for any candidate to campaign once they have filed their COCs or get involved in any political undertaking that will promote his/her candidature. The ban on campaigning is effective from August 28 to October 18, this year.
September 15, this year, is the last day to file requests/petitions for transfer/change/correction of name/address of voting centers and/or polling places.

The campaign period will start from October 19 to October 28, 2023 within which the holding of barangay assemblies and candidates’ fora are allowed.

Campaign period

The prohibited acts during the campaign period (October 19 to October 28, 2023):

Removing, destroying or preventing distribution of lawful election propaganda, posting displaying, and using illegal campaign materials, making any donation or gift in cash or in kind, which is also prohibited on the day before election and on election day.

Appointing or using special policemen, special/confidential agents or the like. The prohibition on such undertaking will also take effect on the day before the election and on election day along with the ban on using armored land, water, or air craft.

No policemen and provincial guards on the day before election and on election day will act or serve as bodyguards of public officials or candidates.

Ten days before the election day or beginning October 20, construction or maintenance of barangay funded roads and bridges is prohibited until October 29, this year. Appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new positions, filling of new positions, promotion or giving of salary increases, remuneration or privileges in the barangay are likewise forbidden.

On the eve of the election day (Oct. 29), no campaigning is permitted including giving, accepting free transportation, foods, drinks, and things of value including selling, furnishing, and offering, buying, serving or taking intoxicating liquor. These acts are prohibited until election day.

Election Day

On election day (October 30, 2023) candidates and the electorates are guided to cast their votes from 7 o’clock in the morning to 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Counting and canvassing of votes and the proclamation of winning candidates will proceed immediately after closing of polls.

Using voter’s affidavit of another for the purpose of voting, whether or not actually succeeds in voting is not permitted.

Julia also reminded the public that Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code rules that voting more than once or in substitution of another is a clear violation of the law.

“We would like to remind the public that soliciting votes or undertaking any propaganda for or against any candidate within the polling place or within 30 meters radius from the polling place is prohibited along with the opening of booths or stalls for the sale of wares or refreshments,” he said.
Section 264 of the Code decreed that: “Any person found guilty of any election offense under this Code shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation.”

In addition, it says that “the guilty party shall be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage. If he is a foreigner, he shall be sentenced to deportation which shall be enforced after the prison term has been served.”

November 29, 2023 is the last day to file Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE). It is provided in the law that: “For the commission of a second or subsequent offense under this section, the administrative fine shall be from two thousand pesos (P2,000) to sixty thousand pesos (P60,000), in the discretion of the Commission. In addition, the offender shall be subject to perpetual disqualification to hold public office.”

(Jason B. Neola, CEPPIO.)

Prescribed expenses kan kanditato sa Brgy, SK elections

CEPPIO Naga — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 03:00:23 +0000

MANTANG pighahalat pa an direktiba kan opisina nasyonal kan Commission on Elections (COMELEC) katakod kan campaign period para sa Barangay and SK elections na pig-move sa Oktubre 30, 2023, may pagirumdom na si Atty. Maico Julia Jr., election officer, kan syudad nin Naga sa mga makandidato.

Segun ki Julia, pamayo kan COMELEC– Naga, P3.00 per voter an pigtutugot na gastoson para sa kampanya kan mga makandidato sa barangay na may political party affiliation mantang P5.00 sa mga independent candidates.

Pigsabi ni Julia na dawa maninigong non-partisan an nasambit na pirilian, an prescribed expenses na basado sa RA 9006 o Fair Election Act an presenteng pigpapasunod kan COMELEC.

Makalihis an voters’ registration na pigtalaan sa Disyembre 9, 2022 sagkod Enero 31, 2023, gigibuhon an Election Registration Board meeting kun saen maaaraman an consolidated number of voters kada barangay na iyo man an babasehan kan mga makandidato sa saindang campaign expenses.

Apwera kaini, gigibuhon man an candidates’ forum tanganing mapangadalan an mga ini kan election rules, kabale na an mga pigpapangalad arog kan pagdukot nin campaign materials sa government properties, vote buying asin iba pang bayolasyon na may maninigong padusa.

(Paulo S. Delos Santos, CEPPIO.)

Comelec-Naga now has 120,787 registered voters

CEPPIO Naga — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 04:00:22 +0000

The Commission on Elections in Naga City has registered 3,306 new electorates during the conduct of its voter’s registration that forms part its preparation for the barangay and SK elections on December 5, this year.

The figure has brought the total number of voters in the city to 120,787 in a span of 18 days from July 4 to 23 (except Sundays) when the registrations of voters were held.

Lawyer Maico Julia Jr., election officer at Comelec-Naga, reported that his office was registering an average of 200 applicants every day for the entire duration of the activity.

He said that the turnout of applicants allowed his office to achieve the target percentage of electorates needed to participate in the elections for barangay and SK officials.

He said a hearing to be participated in by the members of the Election Registration Board (ERB) and stakeholders has been set on August 1, 2022 to give chance to “oppositors,” if there is any, to air their plaints against the registration of an applicant to become a registered voter. If there’s none, Julia said, the ERB will deliberate on the final approval of the applicants’ registration into the national agency’s list of new voters.

As to whether or not the December 5 elections will pursue, the Comelec official said that they do not have an idea yet on the matter even as he admitted that his office, as of the moment, is on wait-and-see situation. “But we have to ensure that everything is ready when the election day comes,” he said.

(Jason B. Neola, CEPPIO. Photo by Rey Baylon, CEPPIO.)

Comelec urges aspirants to obey health protocols

Jason Neola — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 01:47:00 +0000

ATTY. MAICO JULIA, City Election Officer

The Commission on Elections in the city has called on candidates for May 2022 polls to comply at all times with the safety and health protocols mandated by the Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Atty. Maico Julia, city election officer, said that his office will be requiring all aspirants in the city to submit an affidavit of compliance with the minimum health standards within 24 hours after the conclusion of any in-person campaign activity.

“We enjoin all candidates and their campaign organizing staff to submit a notarized affidavit of compliance with health protocols to our office immediately after the conduct of face-to-face campaign activity. Failure to submit such document shall constitute non-cooperation of the person or entities punishable under Section 9 paragraph D or E, as the case maybe, of Republic Act 11332,” Julia said.

He said the notarized affidavit or report will contain photos, the venue where the campaign activity was conducted, when the rally was held, number of participants, what were the measures adopted to observe the health protocols and other details.

RA 11332 is an Act that provides policies and prescribing procedures on surveillance and response to notifiable diseases, epidemics, and health events of public health concern.

The law, otherwise known as Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, bears a penalty clause that said a person or entity who is found to have violated Section 9 shall be penalized with a fine of not less than P20,000 but not more than P50,000 or imprisonment of not less than 1 month but not more than 6 months or both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the proper court.

The election officer said that under Comelec resolution such violation or any other election offenses will be penalized with 1 to 6 years imprisonment and no probation will be granted to the violator. Aside from that, the violator’s right of suffrage – or the right to vote – will be revoked.

Also contained in the rules and regulations implementing the Fair Election Act in connection with the May 9, 2022 national and local polls, which was approved on November 17, 2021, are the following measures that shall be observed at all times in all activities:

Wearing of face mask;
One-meter physical distancing;
Frequent disinfection of hands; and
Proper cough and sneezing etiquette.