No campaigning this Holy Week, bets told

From  The Philippine Star
By Mayen Jaymalin, Reinir Padua, Sheila Crisostomo, Ding Cervantes
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=561753&publicationSubCategoryId=63
 
MANILA, Philippines - Candidates running in the May 10 elections are barred from campaigning during Holy Week.

James Jimenez, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman, said the law prohibits any candidate, political party or voter from engaging in partisan political activity on Maundy Thursday (April 1) and Good Friday (April 2).

“We urge candidates to turn off their loudspeakers and their campaign jingles during the said dates in deference to the Holy Week,” he said.

“Give yourselves a break and make use of the Holy Week to reflect and ponder on all the promises you dished out during the campaign period and on how you intend to bring them to fruition should you get elected this May,” he said.

Jimenez also gave candidates an ultimatum to remove propaganda materials posted outside of common poster areas.

“Bring down and remove all your illegally placed posters and streamers, your advertisements in radio, TV and print within three days or face disqualification,” he said.

Watchdog lists areas prone to violence

Several areas nationwide must be closely monitored for possible election-related violence, according to a poll watchdog.

Ramon Casiple, Consortium for Electoral Reform (CER) executive director, said the entry of national personalities in local politics has created tension in these areas, which are not traditional hot spots.

“The rivalry between two contending camps is getting intense each day that residents are feeling the heat of possible open, untoward incidents,” he said.

Casiple identified one of the areas as Davao City where Speaker Prospero Nograles will run against Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter.

Moncayo, Compostela Valley must also be monitored because “stakeholders of gold-rich Mt. Diwalwal are currently involved in the local elections, coupled with the participation of” former police intelligence officer Cezar Mancao as a congressional candidate, according to a report of CER and Vote Peace Response Teams.

The other areas prone to poll-related violence are the provinces of Sorsogon, Quezon, Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental and Negros Occidental, the report added.

The intense political rivalries are complicated by the aggressive operations of the NPA, according to the report.

Casiple also mentioned Sarangani where boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is running for Congress against businessman Roy Chongbian, and Batangas where former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita is seeking a congressional seat.

“The automation of the elections can lead to the increase in violence because those who have the intention to cheat may not be able to do so,” he said.

“They may resort to violence, instead.”

CER and VPRT have asked the Comelec to place the entire province of Masbate and Maguindanao under its control given the continued presence of threat groups such as the partisan armed groups and NPA.

Casiple said that after the Maguindanao massacre last year, the reactions generated among different sectors caused poll-related violence to go on a “relative decline” in the different hot spots.

“Because of the massacre, there have been efforts to have peace pacts in the different provinces,” he said.

“There’s hope that the 2010 elections, even if there’s a tendency for violence, will not have an upward trend (in election-related violence).”