Exempted na sa gun ban ang OVP, senators, congressmen, justices, NBI at iba pa — Comelec

ni Lolet Abania | April 11, 2022

Inianunsiyo ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) na binigyan na ng gun ban exemption ang mga kuwalipikadong mga senior government officials, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, at mga election officers.

Ayon kay Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan, inamyendahan na ng en banc ang Comelec Resolution No. 10728, kung saan nakasaad ang prohibition kaugnay sa mga unauthorized firearms at bodyguards bago pa ang election period.

Ipinagbabawal, batay sa Comelec resolution, “bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or deadly weapons outside residence or place of business and in all public places from January 9 to June 8, 2022 or for a total of 150 calendar days.”

Paliwanag ni Pangarungan, ang pag-amyenda ng nasabing resolusyon ay layong mapadali at simplehan ang pagbibigay ng exemptions sa ban hinggil sa pagkakaroon, pagdadala at pag-transport ng mga baril o iba pang nakamamatay na mga armas, gayundin ng mga ammunitions at explosives o kanilang components, sa mga karapat-dapat na aplikanteng public officials.

“These officials need to feel secured in performing their duties, free from fear and pressure from others,” saad ng poll chairman sa isang news briefing ngayong Lunes.

“The amendment also allows the Comelec to be more responsive to security concerns in election hotspots by granting the Comelec Chairman the authority to place election areas of concern, already approved by the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC), under Comelec control,” sabi pa ni Pangarungan.

Sa ilalim ng inaprubahang amendment, ang Office of the Vice President, senators, congressmen, court justices, cabinet secretaries hanggang sa mga assistant secretaries at kanilang security detail ay exempted na ngayon mula sa election gun ban.

Binanggit din ni Pangarungan na iyong mga binigyan ng gun ban exemption ay dapat na mayroong valid License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF), Certificate of Firearms Registration (CFR), valid Permit to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR). “Provided further, that in no instance shall they carry two (2) firearms,” ani Pangarungan.

“And provided furthermore, that these public officials shall submit to the CBFSC not later than April 19, 2022 the list of their firearms and qualified security detail,” dagdag ng opisyal.

Ang Comelec en banc, na bumoto ng 4-3, ay nag-aawtorisa rin kay Pangarungan para mag-grant ng gun ban exemptions sa tinatawag na “urgent and meritorious cases,” gayundin, ilagay ang mga itinuturing na election areas of concern sa ilalim ng kontrol ng poll body.

Samantala, nilinaw ni Pangarungan na mayroon nang exemption patungkol dito si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte bilang commander in chief ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“You know we granted certificate of authority to the AFP. Lahat ng sundalo meron silang authority to carry firearms in the same manner na lahat ng pulis mayroong general authority to carry firearms. Don’t forget that the President is the commander in chief of AFP, so meron nang dating exemption si President Duterte,” pahayag ni Pangarungan.

1-buwang bonus, aprub sa mga empleyado ng Comelec

ni Lolet Abania | April 7, 2022

Inaprubahan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang isang buwang bonus para sa kanilang mga empleyado bago pa ang May 9, 2022 elections.

“We have an approved Employee Development Assistance consisting of a 1 month bonus for all regular employees of this Commission. Our workforce can expect to receive this 1 month bonus this April 2022,” saad ni Comelec Chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan.

Aprub na rin sa Comelec ang higit pang expenses o gastusin para sa kanilang mga empleyado.

“The Augmentation of transportation and communication expenses for the Election Officers for a period of 6 months to cover also the Barangay Elections in December 2022. The Commission En banc approved this to cushion the impact of the round of fuel increases upon our election officers,” ani Pangarungan.

Ang suspensyon naman ng biometrics o automated attendance system ay inaprubahan din ng poll body upang maaari nang magpatuloy ang mga empleyado na magtrabaho sa field na hindi na kailangan pang bumalik sa opisina para mag-punch ng kanilang attendance.

Ayon pa kay Pangarungan, approved in principle na rin ng Comelec ang ninanais nilang gun ban exemptions para sa mga election officers, provincial election supervisors at regional election directors.

“Election officers may also be entitled to not more than 2 security detail subject to the approval of their respective REDs. This exemption to the gun ban was enjoyed before by our election officers in previous elections,” paliwanag ni Pangarungan.

“To be effective our election officers need to feel secured in performing their duties, free from fear and pressure from opposing candidates in the respective jurisdiction,” sabi pa ng opisyal.

Ipinaalala naman ni Pangarungan sa mga empleyado ng Comelec na dapat nilang tiyakin ang pagkakaroon ng matapat, maayos, mapagkakatiwalaan at mapayapang eleksyon sa Mayo 9, 2022.

2 complaints ng vote buying, natanggap ng Comelec

ni Lolet Abania | April 5, 2022

Nakatanggap ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) ng dalawang complaints ng vote buying matapos ang nabuo nilang task force na layong mapigilan ang anumang election offense.

Ayon kay Comelec Commissioner George Erwin Garcia, ang isa sa mga reklamo ay inihain ng grupong Kowalisyong Novaleno Kontra Korapsyon laban kay Rose Nono Lin, na tatakbo para sa congressional seat sa Quezon City.

Naimbestigahan din si Lin sa Senado kaugnay sa umano’y maling paggamit o misuse ng pandemic response funds ng gobyerno.

“I was informed about the filing. One of the first cases after the activation of the the task force,” saad ni Garcia, na hindi naman binanggit ang detalye ng isa pang reklamo.

Ayon sa Comelec official, ang mga naturang complaints ay magsisilbing babala para sa magsasagawa ng vote buying.

“These initial cases are the beginning of everything, a warning to one and all that we have an awakened citizenry with the highest sense of maturity,” giit ni Garcia.

“However, presumption of innocence should never be compromised as mandated by the Constitution,” dagdag niya.

Binigyan-diin naman ni Garcia ang kahalagahan ng pagsusumite ng mga ebidensiya, partikular na ang mga larawan at video.

“We will immediately issue the subpoena to immediately proceed with the preliminary investigation. We will afford due process to all. And we will not allow our judgment be swayed by publicity or popularism. Ours will be guided only by the evidence presented

and the law applicable based on the given facts,” sabi ni Garcia.

Una nang bumuo ang Comelec ng inter-agency task force na pinamumunuan ni Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, kung saan sila ang mag-iimbestiga at magpo-prosecute sa mga kaso ng vote buying at pagbebenta nito.

Batay sa Section 261 ng Omnibus Election Code, ipinagbabawal ang vote buying at vote selling, kung saan ang mga offenders o nagkasala ay mahaharap sa posibleng pagkakakulong, at aalisan ng karapatan na tumakbo sa public office at bumoto.