EDITORIAL - Campaign regulation

The barangay election on Oct. 28 will be conducted manually, so it will be covered by the Omnibus Election Code, according to the Commission on Elections. The Comelec should see to it that this will not be an empty threat.

The election code includes rules against premature campaigning. Already prospective candidates, particularly the well-connected ones, are finding ways of putting one over their rivals in raising their profile. Posters and other materials normally associated with election campaigns are starting to proliferate, with the prospective candidates riding on the coattails of political allies who are incumbent local executives.

Prospective candidates should be glad that the official campaign period is just over a week, from Oct. 18 to 26. It means less expenses while providing enough time for a candidate to meet voters in a barangay and present one’s platform. Because of the role played by barangay officials in grassroots politics, however, their support is wooed by major political parties and leading politicians. Party funds are also used in the barangay campaign.

If the Comelec is serious in its warning to enforce campaign rules, it should also be able to identify those bankrolling a barangay candidate’s campaign, including political parties and incumbent government officials. The Comelec should issue clear guidelines on campaigning under the election code.

The poll body has an unimpressive record in enforcing campaign rules. This is unfortunate, because many corrupt deals have their roots in election campaigns. With campaign finance largely unregulated, the sky’s the limit for a donor’s contribution to a candidate’s war chest. If the candidate wins, the sky is also the limit for the campaign donor’s return on investment, often through sweetheart deals involving the winner’s office.

In the midterm elections last May, the Comelec tried to discipline candidates in their campaign, but the efforts were stymied by the Supreme Court. The legal setbacks were on top of the general weakness of the Comelec in regulating the conduct of election campaigns. The Comelec should do better in the upcoming barangay election.