The election period for the October 28 barangay elections officially starts today.
With the beginning of the election period, Cebu provincial election officer Ferdinand Gujilde yesterday called on the public to be aware of the restrictions set under the Omnibus Election Code.
Cebu City north district election officer Marchel Sarno said the filing of candidacy will be from October 15 to 17. Candidates will be allowed to start campaigning on October 18. The last day of campaigning will be on October 26.
The gun ban took effect midnight Friday and will be in force until Nov. 28.
Only regular members or officers of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other government enforcement agencies who are deputized by the Comelec may possess firearms as long as they are in full uniform and are in actual performance of their duty.
“At the onset of the election period, prohibited acts will also take effect including the gun ban, issuance of appointments, promotions, creation of new positions, salary increases in government offices as well as raising funds,” Gujilde aid.
Among the prohibted acts during the election period are:
alteration of territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct
illegal release of prisoners
organizing or maintaining reaction/strike or similar forces
holding of performances to raise funds for an election campaign or to support a candidate. These performances include dances, lotteries, cockfights, games, boxing bouts, bingo, beauty contest, entertainments, or cinematographic, theatrical and similar performances.
transfer or detail of any officer or employee in the civil service including public school teachers
suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer except upon prior approval of the Comelec
construction and maintenance of roads and bridges and provincial, city, municipality or barangay-funded projects.
At least nine barangays in Cebu City were identified by the police as “areas of concern”.
Supt. Reycel Carmelo Dayon, deputy director of the Cebu City Police Office, declined to identify the barangays, but said three are in the mountain or rural areas while three are in the urban areas.
He explained that an “area of concern” has a lower threat level than the Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs). On Wednesday, the regional police office identified 28 barangays in Central Visayas as possible EWAs. The 28 EWAs are mostly in Negros Oriental where there is threat or presence of armed men.
Dayon said the barangay elections is more critical than the national or local elections since the political rivalry is more intense due to the proximity of the candidates.
The police last night started enforcing the gun ban by conducting checkpoints in major thoroughfares. /with Correspondent Chito Aragon