Comelec mulls longer campaign period

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to extend the campaign period to 120 days for next year’s polls.

The plan aims to stop premature campaigning by candidates before the start of the official campaign period, Commissioner Christian Robert Lim told reporters at the introduction of the proposed calendar of activities for the May 2016 elections held in Manila.

The draft calendar of activities for the coming elections contained a proposed date, Jan. 10, 2016, as the start of the campaign period for national and local candidates. However, Lim said, the extension proposal would be subjected to public consultations.

The Omnibus Election Code states that the candidates for national positions have 90 days to campaign while candidates for local positions have 45 days, both periods ending on the Saturday before Election Day, which is always a Monday.

Lim said the code would not be violated by extending the campaign period as the first Automated Election Law, Republic Act No. 8436, gives the Comelec authority to adjust the calendar of activities.

“We have one flexibility [provision] under Section 28 of RA 8436, wherein we can fix the preelection activities. That’s what we are invoking,” he said.

Section 28 states: “If it shall no longer be reasonably possible to observe the periods and dates prescribed by law for certain preelection acts, the commission shall fix other periods and dates in order to ensure accomplishment of the activities so voters shall not be deprived of their suffrage.”