Lawmaker seeks revival of ban on premature poll campaigning

MANILA, Philippines - A Laguna congressman is seeking the revival of the old ban on premature election campaigning to level the playing field among all candidates.

Rep. Joaquin Chipeco Jr. has filed a bill that seeks to prohibit “electoral campaign or partisan political activities except during the campaign period and providing a penalty therefore.”

He said under the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of Penera vs Commission on Elections, campaigning, partisan political activities and political advertising are allowed before the start of the election campaign and before a candidate files his certificate of candidacy.

“Based on the Penera case, the rule now is that two facts must concur in order for a person or aspiring candidate to be liable to an election offense: first, he must have filed his certificate of candidacy, and second, the campaign period has commenced,” he said.

“This means that a candidate in our (automated) elections could campaign much earlier than the start of the campaign period and not incur any criminal liability for premature campaigning under our election laws,” he said.

He stressed that the SC ruling “effectively decriminalizes not just premature campaigning, but any and all election offenses committed prior to the campaign period as well.”