• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued show-cause orders to 47 Negrense candidates for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this coming Oct. 30 for alleged premature campaigning.
Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said yesterday they have already started to serve the show-cause orders to candidates in the different towns and cities.
Of the 47 recipients, E.B. Magalona town has the most number of issued show-cause orders at 23.
Also, nine were in Bacolod City; eight in Himamaylan City; three in Bago City; two in Sipalay City; and one each in La Carlota City and Kabankalan City.
Ananoria said the respondents are given 24 hours to answer before the Task Force Anti-Epal, which also included pieces of evidence from the complainants.
According to the Comelec, premature campaigning would be treated as an election offense, and a candidate who disregards this would be liable for election code violations.
Ananoria reminded the candidates to do away with premature campaigning and just wait for the Oct. 19 to 28 official campaign period.
“We can do all the campaigning we want legally, as prescribed by the Comelec,” he said.
Ananoria said he expects that more show cause-orders would be issued by Comelec, with the anticipated retaliation from the subjects of the complaints. | GB
