The Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) bets to be wary of prohibitions following the start of campaign period.

“Wag na po natin lagyan [ng posters] yung mga poste at yung mga kawad ng kuryente. Irespeto po natin na dapat ang lalagyan laman ay yung common poster area,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in an interview with DZRH.

“Wag niyo pong gagawin yun at baka kayo’y ma-disqualify pa, makakasuhan pa namin kayo ng kasong kriminal [...] Two by three lang po ang size sa isang poster,” he added.

Vote buying schemes

Garcia also added that the election came with new ways of vote buying schemes, such as the possibility of using mobile payments services.

“Nung isang araw lang naglabas po ng isang circular ang Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at nire-remind po lahat ng mga [electronic payment] platforms na pag may nagpadala sa kanila ng maramihan yung volume ay kinakailangan i-report para mai-report din po sa amin,” he said.

The Comelec chief explained that this was to presume that the person sending money to a large number of people constituted vote buying.

“Yung isang tao na nakapagpadala sa 2,000 [na tao] sa isang araw ng tig-isang libo, ip-presume namin na yung taong yan ay engaged sa vote buying,” he added.

Garcia clarified that giving of t-shirts, silicone wristbands, and hats would also be flagged as vote buying.

“Hindi po pwede mamigay ng sombrero, t-shirt, baller, bawal po [dahil] vote buying po yan. Hindi naman po pinag-uusapan sa batas kung magkano ang presyo [...] wag po tayo nagpapakain before, during or after a campaign o yung mismong rally dahil vote buying pa rin po yan,” he said.

“1 to 6 years imprisonment po yan. It takes two to tango. Hindi pwedeng may seller kung walang buyer. Subalit kapag yung mismong botante na nabigyan ay umamin at nagsalita ay pwede namin silang i-exclude sa prosecution,” he said.

The official campaign period for barangay, SK elections begins today.