Reason behind Comelec bid to extend campaign period questioned

The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) plan to extend the campaign period for next year’s elections to 120 days did not sit well with Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

READ: Comelec mulls longer campaign period

“As a general rule, I don’t agree with an ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ approach to doing things,” Escudero, who is seriously considering running for higher office next year, said in a text message

He said the basis for changing the campaign period should be anchored on a rational and reasonable ground “instead of one’s inability to enforce the current law/rule.”

“I hope they have another ground/reason that is grounded on a study or some lofty ideal or purpose that they seek to achieve with this change so that both the voters and would-be candidates can know and understand the reason and logic behind the change,” Escudero added.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, meanwhile, welcomed the idea since he said there’s also a counter proposal to raise the allowable campaign expenditure ceiling.

“Pwede ‘yan na idea because there’s a counterpart proposal to increase the allowable campaign expenditure ceiling,” Pimentel said in a text message on Tuesday.

“So these two ideas can actually go hand in hand,” he said.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, the candidates for national positions have 90 days to campaign while candidates for local positions have 45 days.

The campaign period for national and local candidates is set to start in February, 2016. IDL