Comelec exec to voters: Don’t wear clothes with bet’s name, photo on election day

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia on Wednesday warned voters not to wear clothes with their preferred candidate’s face or name on election day, May 9 as it is considered campaigning.

In an interview on TeleRadyo’s On the Spot, Garcia was asked if voters can enter a polling precinct while wearing clothes with their chosen candidate’s name.

“Huwag na pong ganu’n. That’s campaigning. Bawal na po ang campaigning sa araw ng eleksyon,” he answered.

(Don’t do it. That’s campaigning. Campaigning is prohibited on election day.)

“‘Yung magsusuot pa po kayo ng may pangalan o may mukha, that’s campaigning po. Iwasan na lang po natin,” he reminded voters.

(Wearing clothes with the name or face of a candidate, that’s campaigning. Let us avoid that.)

However, wearing clothes with the candidate’s campaign color or slogan is allowed, said Garcia.

“Wala pong problema kung gusto niyo po magsuot ng kulay ng kandidato niyo dahil ‘yun naman po ay isang karapatan,” he said.

(There is no problem if you want to wear your candidate’s color because it is your right.)

“Kung ‘yung slogan po, wala naman po tayong magagawa. At least po ‘yun, hindi campaigning ‘yun,” the commissioner added.

(As for clothes with campaign slogans, we can’t do anything about that. At least, that is not campaigning.)

For the 2022 elections, voters will be choosing from 10 presidential candidates, nine vice presidential bets, 64 senatorial hopefuls, and 177 party-list groups.