Declare holiday for recall, Aquino asked

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has asked President Aquino to declare May 8 as a special nonworking holiday in Puerto Princesa City to pave the way for the recall election against Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

In a Comelec resolution, the commission en banc said it was imperative to request for the declaration of a holiday in the city from Malacañang to allow residents to participate in the balloting.

“There is a need to declare May 8, 2015, a special nonworking holiday to afford the registered voters of the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to participate fully in the recall elections,” according to the resolution.

The Comelec has also ordered Executive Director Jose Tolentino to furnish Mr. Aquino a copy of the resolution.

Early this month, the Comelec has set the recall election on May 8, the day before the ban on holding such balloting shall take effect.

Under the Local Government Code, conducting a recall election within one year preceding a regular local balloting is prohibited. The Comelec is in the thick of preparing for the next presidential elections scheduled on May 9, 2016.

Voting unanimously, the Supreme Court ordered the Comelec to conduct a recall election against Bayron, who automatically becomes a candidate in the election.

The high court set aside two resolutions of the Comelec suspending all recall proceedings in the country, including that of Puerto Princesa, due to lack of funds to carry out such move.

The recall petition was signed by 40,409 registered voters of the city, exceeding the needed 19,335 signatures for the proceedings to push through.

The Comelec also reminded residents that the local gun ban would be implemented starting today until May 18 or 20 days before election day and 10 days following the balloting.

The gun ban prohibits the carrying or the transport of firearms and other deadly weapons.

During the election period, the law also prohibits the illegal release of prisoners, the transfer or detail of officers and employees in the civil service, including public school teachers; the suspension of any elective provincial, city or barangay (village) officials; and the alteration of territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct.