Comelec: Don’t reward pols’ bad behavior

EDITORIAL

To those planning to run for an elective post in the May elections next year: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and various election watchdogs urged millions of Filipinos not to vote for individuals who are already posting materials that may be considered as premature campaigning for the 2022 national and local elections.
    “Don’t vote for them. Don’t reward bad behavior,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez toldf media, addressing the public.
He added the country has “no shortage of good candidates. We have candidates who follow the rules.”
    Eric Alvia, secretary general of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, said premature campaigning is “a glimpse” of the candidate’s “kind of leadership or the kind of integrity this person has.”
    Brizza Rosales, senior project director of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections, said the public should always campaign against individuals or groups who are campaigning for particular individuals ahead of the campaign period.
    The Comelec, however, said there is no early campaigning that is happening in the country since there are still no official candidates and it is not yet the campaign period for the May 2022 polls.