EDITORIAL - The Comelec must not play into ruses.

The eyes of Cebuanos are now on the Comelec, where congressional aspirant Jonathan Guardo has filed a petition seeking Comelec control of the mountain barangays in Cebu City on account of what he claims to be " persistent reports " of armed men roaming the area.

The claim is a serious one. Armed men roaming anywhere pose a serious risk to everyone. During elections, their mere presence can undermine the integrity of the political exercise. The Comelec must look into the matter very carefully.

We stress on the " carefully " because it is always easy to make a claim than to prove one. And the claim of Guardo is precisely just that, a mere claim. He submitted not a single shred of evidence as proof.

We stress on the " carefully " because positive action by the Comelec on the Guardo petition can imply truth to his claim when in fact, by his own statements, he only heard persistent reports about the alleged presence of armed men.

While placing an area under Comelec control can help to ensure the integrity of the elections, taking that course of action on the basis of an unverified claim by one man who stands to personally benefit from such action is not in the best interest of everyone.

Unless the Comelec is careful, it can play into finely-laid-out traps that are part of the gimmickry that invariably surfaces during election time. If the Comelec has to redeem its name, tarnished by a myriad of issues in past elections, it must have prudence in its arsenal.

As to Guardo, he is seeking a position by which the holder is addressed as honorable. If he has to prove himself worthy of such a title, then he must learn to act responsibly even while still an aspirant for the position.

And responsible men do not raise the alarm on the basis of mere hearsay. Cebuanos are an intelligent people. They know how to see through ruses. If Guardo wants the vote of Cebuanos, he must earn that vote by respecting their intelligence, not insulting them.