Helpless and inutile Comelec?

 THE official campaign period for the May 9, 2016 national elections has started. This was stressed by the Commission on Elections by directing the removal of campaign posters and tarpaulins of candidates gunning for the presidency, vice-presidency and senate outside of authorized areas. In sum, Comelec warned candidates about flouting the campaign rules defined in the Election Code.

But that doesn’t appear to be the case in Pangasinan. A week into the official campaign period, there is no indication that the local Comelec officials have the courage to enforce the rules against the wishes of incumbent or influential politicos supporting their respective national candidates. Posters of all sizes and shapes that were posted before the official campaign period remain where they are. Worse, candidates who barnstorm a town or city continue to enjoy a carte blanche to have their posters and tarps hung or posted completely ignoring the Comelec rules and its officials mandated to enforce he rules.

If the local Comelec offices admit to being helpless, having no manpower to remove these, they can still help themselves and maintain their integrity as competent officials by deputizing groups to remove these. And at the very least, they should at least write and warn the candidates of their violations and dare to penalize the erring candidates.

If our local Comelec officials cannot set the tone for the strict observance of campaign rules today, there will be mayhem in our towns and cities once the local campaign period starts.

 

SC guilty

IF you think the Supreme Court is taking so long to resolve the disqualification issue of presidential candidate Grace Poe, stop it.  Have you forgotten?  The justice system in this country is known the world over as the slowest ever.

The High Court has been expected to act with dispatch on the Poe case but look at the score: It had only done four days of oral arguments thus far in four weeks.  While Poe sits on pins and needles waiting for the verdict, it is actually the people that are left hanging in the air.  Is Poe to be disqualified for not being a natural-born Filipino, for having not complied with the 10-year residency rule?   The voters ought to know.  Now.  By acting the way they are acting presently, our magistrates are, in effect, guilty of dispensing justice in a most inappropriate manner.

This time, the SC, the supposed No. 1 guardian of justice itself, has become the No. 1 advocate of “justice delayed, justice denied.”  Beyond reasonable doubt even.

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