Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez condemned the act of potential 2022 poll candidates who are giving out money in the guise of "ayuda" amid the pandemic.
"Ang daming excuses pero alam naman natin na sumatotal vote buying din ang uwi niyan," he told DZRH in an interview.
(There are a lot of excuses, but we know that at the end of the day it is vote-buying.)
However, Jimenez said that Comelec cannot really prohibit them from giving out money because it is not yet the campaign period.
"As far as Comelec is concerned, hindi pa natin sila mapipigilan kasi nga wala pa tayo sa period ng kampanya, at technically, hindi pa sila official candidates," he pointed out.
(As far as Comelec is concerned, we cannot prevent them because it is not yet the campaign period and technically, they are not yet official candidates.)
Money-giving from possible 2022 poll candidates became a hot topic after presidential aspirant and Senator Manny Pacquiao was seen on video handing out P1,000 aid in Batangas.
Pacquiao confirmed the act but denied it was for the 2022 elections. Instead, he said giving money was something that he used to do as far back as 2002, he previously told DZRH in an interview.
Concerned citizens called out Pacquiao for the act and raised it to Comelec, but even Jimenez said nothing could come out of it.
Instead, he proposed raising the matter to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for possible violations on mass gatherings.
"Kung ako, ang irereklamo ko diyan violation ng health protocols. Kasi medyo mabangis naman yung batas natin sa violation of health protocols, mga jeepney driver nga pinagmumulta. Bakit itong mga ito hindi magalaw?" he asked.
(If that was me, I would say it is a violation of health protocols. Because our laws on violation of health protocols are quite harsh that even jeepney drivers are getting fined. So why not these people?)
He did not particularly name Pacquiao nor any politician in his remarks to DZRH, but he said mass gatherings where there is obvious neglect on minimum public health standards should instead be raised to the IATF.
"'Yung ginagawa nila health hazard po yan, health risk yan at sila ay lumalabag sa mga guideline," he said.
(What they are doing are health hazards, those are health risks and they are violating the guidelines.)
"Okay lang na mass gathering, pero ang nakikita kasi natin, walang face mask, walang facshield, walang social distancing, hawakan nang hawakan - lahat yan pagva-violate po yan," he added.
(It’s okay that it’s a mass gathering, but from what we could see, no face masks, no face shields, no social distancing, nothing but touching – all of them are violations.)
According to Jimenez, the Comelec is well aware of the said events as they are all over social media but reiterated that it is not yet under the authority of the commission.
"Nakakarating po at nakikita din natin sa social media, kaya nga po tayo nananawagan sa IATF na kailangan nilang sawatahin yan dahil sa ngayon po, hindi pa yan pasok sa puder ng Comelec," he said.
(All of them reach our office and we see them on social media. That’s why we are calling on the IATF to intercept them because right now, it is not yet under the scope of Comelec.)
Just like in the case of cash aid, Jimenez explained that until the official start of the campaign period, such mass gatherings are not yet covered by election laws.
"Ang election laws ay magsisimula lang mag-take effect sa simula ng campaign period. Kaya yung mga ginagawa ng mga politiko na yan ay hindi pa yan sakop ng awtoridad ng Comelec," he said.
(Election laws can only take effect at the start of the campaign period. That’s why such acts from politicians are not yet under the scope of authority of Comelec.)
The spokesperson further likened such events to the parties held by individuals inside hotels where some public health rules are also violated - the only difference is, there are politicians involved in the mass gatherings.
"Kunwari rally daw pero hindi po 'yan rally. Kahit yung mga pulitiko na hindi nila tatawaging rally 'yan, kasi ipaglalaban nila na hindi pa sila sakop ng election laws, right?" Jimenez explained.
(They say it’s a rally but it’s not a rally. Even politicians would not call them rallies because they need to say it’s not yet under election laws, right?)
"And kung sasabihin nila na hindi sila rally, eh di hindi sila special treatment dapat. Dapat para lang silang mga pangkaraniwang mamayan na nagkaroon ng mass gathering at hinahayaang magkaroon ng paglabag sa ating mga health protocol," he added.
(And if they say those are not rallies, then there should not be any special treatment. They should be like other ordinary citizens who participated in mass gatherings that allowed violations of health protocols.)
