Erring candidates

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Elections, our drunken neighborhood philosopher says, are really the favorite pastime of constituents of this Banana Republic. Some could kill just to get the posts they are aspiring for.
    It’s redundant, he adds, but money still talks during such times. And it is needed for counting machine operators, Some campaign even if it is illegal to do so.
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For this, some erring candidates for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) may be disqualified even before the Oct. 30 polls, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief George Erwin Garcia.
    "Almost sure ako na may desisyon ang Comelec bago mag-Oct. 30. Ngayong araw din po ang Task Force against premature campaigning ay nagpadala na ng mga notices furnishing the copy ng petition na ifa-file nila bukas (I'm almost sure that the Comelec will have a decision before Oct. 30. Today, the Task Force against Premature Campaigning sent their notices furnishing the copy of the petition to be filed)," Garcia was quoted by the government-run Philippine News Agency last week.
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So far in Cordillera, like in this town, we have not heard of widespread premature campaigning unlike in the lowlands where this is reportedly rife, although there are subtle ways of campaigning particularly on social media.
    “Ni Dagul, mayat dayta nga ag kapitan. Nasingpet dayta. Haan yo lang e asideg baket yo ta nasingpet metlang dayta karkaru iti napipintas ken seksi nga babbai,” one goes.     
    Some are also campaigning against certain candidates perceived not suited for public office.
    One says, “Ni Juan, haan yo ibotos dayta ta tumultulong kadagiti nakurapay. Dagita aglaklaku ti shabu ken marijuana tultulonganna tapnu adda maiyawid da nga kwarta. Haan na ipatpatiliw, isuna pay agisuro gumatang. Pati kubrador ti jueteng, baybay-anna ta isu kanu pagkitaan da. Helpful suna di ba?”    

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As of last week, the Comelec bared 194 possible disqualification cases after receiving complaints from 404 BSKE bets.

Dropped complaints reached 207 due to a lack of factual basis while 2,875 show cause orders were issued to BSKE candidates.

Garcia said the Comelec may come up with resolutions as early as the second week of October.

He explained this is due to the Comelec division's "summary proceedings" in all filed petitions.

"By Monday, it will be raffled to a division and the division will immediately issue the summons requiring the respondent to file an answer within the period of three days," he said.

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Garcia added the petitioners' response within the three days shall be treated as an answer memorandum subject to a decision unless otherwise deemed necessary for further hearing.

"With or without the answer, the case is deemed submitted for resolution. Wala nang hearing hearing, marking marking of evidence masyado, pinapatagal lang ng iba (No more hearing or too much marking of evidence [which are used by] others for delays)," he added.

Garcia, meanwhile, warned that proven violators could face criminal charges.

"Di po matatapos sa disqualification 'yung kakaharapin niyo (You will not end up just facing disqualification). You may go to the Supreme Court yes, but just the same, you will make (it) public. Public record na 'yan e (That's already a public record)," he said.

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Earlier, the poll body said aside from disqualification, violators could also face election offense charges and could be meted out a prison term of between one and six years; forfeiture of the right to suffrage; and perpetual disqualification to hold public office for aspiring candidates. Our philosopher asks if a big fish had been jailed for election offenses. Can’t think of any, he answers himself. 

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According to barangay officials themselves, funds for projects, honoraria, operating costs, among others have gone up, reason why people aspire for barangay positions.

Salaries reportedly range from P11,000 to P26,000. But for the enterprising ones, it is not the honoraria that matters but the take from gambling and drug lords, according to our philosopher, now getting fired up.  

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Meanwhile, some disgraced barangay officials are still running. I know one in Baguio who got three truckloads of stones excavated from the property of a friend without his permission.

He had been harassing the latter using goons after he complained against this punong barangay. One time, police had to tell the bocap to leave after he harassed again our friend.

This bocap is reportedly running again in barangay elections this October. If constituents of this barangay will still vote for him, it might be better for our friend to reside in Mars since rage is building up inside him and he could do something not worth suffering for by retaliating against this A-hole.  

But then, folks of this barangay may have learned their lesson and may replace this bocap, who knows, with another nincompoop.