Comelec warns parties against illegal campaign activities for BARMM polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a stern warning to regional parliamentary political parties, cautioning them against engaging in unlawful campaign activities as the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections approach. The campaign period officially began on July 30 and will conclude on September 12.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia affirmed that the commission is actively monitoring for any prohibited campaign practices. While no cases of vote buying have been reported yet, Garcia stressed Comelec's unwavering commitment to ensuring the orderly conduct of these historic parliamentary polls.

Garcia also highlighted the commission's power to disqualify candidates and cancel the registration of parties or sectoral organizations found to be in breach of electoral regulations. "This means we will not hesitate to disqualify candidates and cancel the registration of candidates or sectoral organizations if we find violations of our basic campaign requirements," he stated during an ambush interview.

Candidates from nine major political parties are competing for the 80 seats in the BARMM legislature. Approximately 2.3 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on September 14. The Comelec's proactive stance aims to uphold the integrity of the electoral process in this significant regional election.

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So ibig sabihin po hindi rin kami maga-atubili na mag disqualify ng mga kandidato at mag cancel ng registration o cancel ng mga sectoral organizations kung makikita namin na may paglabag sa mga basic requirements natin sa pangangampanya.