Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Wednesday said she finds nothing wrong with tarpaulins bearing oversized letters urging presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to run for president in 2022.
Guanzon, however, said she will revisit the Comelec rules after “Sara, Run, Sara” tarpaulins sprouted in different areas not only in Davao City but also in Metro Manila.
“Advertisements or posters of potential candidates are not violations because it is not election period. Will revisit the rules @COMELEC,” Guanzon said in on her Twitter.
Meanwhile, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said although the tarpaulins promote the electoral win of a possible candidate, it will “fall short” of the legal definition of campaigning.
“Those tarpaulins do seek to promote the electoral win of Mayor (Sara) Duterte, but she herself isn’t a candidate yet. This means that although many would consider it a form of campaigning, it would actually fall short of the legal definition of campaigning, let along premature campaigning,” Jimenez said in a message to reporters.
“Therefore, there appears to be no violation of election laws or campaign rules. Anyone, in fact, can do the same thing,” he added.
The campaign period for national positions for the May 9, 2022 polls will start from Feb. 8 to May 7, 2022.
Sara earlier thanked the individuals behind the “Run, Sara, Run”campaign that is also circulating in social media.
The presidential daughter, however, remains coy on the possibility of entering next year’s presidential derby.
She said she would only run for president in 2034 if the opposition would agree to support her.
“I understand where they are coming from. I, too, am anxious where we are going as a nation. I am always grateful that I have their trust and confidence. I am pleading to them to please allow me to run for President in 2034, if at that time there is something I can do to help the country,” she said in a television interview on Feb. 1.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo earlier said Sara has the qualities to replace her father as he pitches for the possible tandem of Sara and her father in the 2022 national elections.
“Kitang-kita ko ‘yung qualities mo, Mayor Sara. Kaya regardless of whether you’re the daughter or not, ikaw ang napusuan ko (I have seen all your qualities, Mayor Sara. That’s why regardless of whether you’re the daughter [of the President] or not, I want you [to be his successor]),” Panelo said during his commentary show “Counterpoint” on Jan. 27.
On Jan. 14, Duterte said he does not want his daughter to run for president in 2022 because presidency is an unsuitable job for a woman.
No comments:
Post a Comment