Gun ban suspended amid talks of postponement
SK CAMPAIGN PERIOD
LINGAYEN– As Congress is expected to finally postpone the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this week, the election gun ban has been put on hold which was supposed to be in effect last Friday, the official start of the campaign period.
Provincial election supervisor, Atty. Marino Salas, said that until the law is passed, the gun ban will be enforced on the new date and this was stressed to P/Sr. Supt. Reynaldo Biay, OIC provincial police director, in their meeting last week.
It means per Commission on Elections (Comelec) Minute Resolution No. 15-0026, all gun ban exemptions issued for the May 2013 local and national elections and October 2013 barangay polls will not be honored.
Comelec checkpoints will be installed in all towns with signboards informing the people of the name of the town/city election registrar and the police team leader.
Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines escorts of certain politicians shall be automatically recalled during the election period as embodied under the law, he said.
Law enforcers and security personnel in the country may, however, apply for renewal of their Certificates of Authority/Gun Ban Exemptions.
Assuming the elections will continue, Salas said there are 108,875 registered 15-17 years olds SK voters in the province.
The towns with most number of youth voters are San Carlos City with 7,474; Malasiqui with 5,872; Bayambang with 5,062; Dagupan City with 4, 948; and Lingayen with 4,132 registrants.
Initial reports from indicate that the planned postponement as approved by the House of Representatives will be adopted by the Senate to enable Congress to set the planned reforms in place.
Among the proposed reforms include the prohibition of relatives of incumbent elected officials as officers of SK chapters. (Eva Visperas/Johanne Macob/Dada Austria/PNA)
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