MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has appealed to both local and national candidates in the May 2019 midterm to spare the upcoming Traslacion 2019 from politics.
Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez on Saturday urged all candidates to exercise “delicadeza” and not take advantage of the loopholes in the premature campaigning law.
“We appeal to the sense of delicadeza of national and local poll candidates not to turn the Traslacion into a campaigning event,” Jimenez said in a statement.
“Please do not take advantage of the loopholes in the premature campaigning law to plug your candidacy during the mammoth feast of the Black Nazarene. Premature campaigning is wrong and well-meaning politicians should not engage in it,” he added.
According to Jimenez, the campaign period for senatorial candidates and party list groups officially starts on February 12 and ends on May 11, 2019.
The campaign period, meanwhile, for members of the House of Representatives and elective regional, provincial, city and municipal posts will be from March 30 to May 11, 2019.
In an earlier interview, Jimenez said politicians are not considered as official candidates in the 2019 midterm elections until the start of the campaign period.
As such, candidates with tarpaulins posted in various areas in Metro Manila before February 12 will not be held liable for early campaigning even before the February 12 start of the campaign period.
READ: Comelec’s Jimenez explains ‘loophole’ in premature campaigning
“We urge all candidates not to campaign outside the official campaign period, and to be always mindful of the environmental impact of their campaigning activities,” Jimenez said
Election day is set on May 13, 2019. /muf