Comelec fears poll violence

Local candidates for the 2010 elections on Friday will be joining their counterparts who are running for national posts in what is considered to be the hottest campaign season to date, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

According to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, the poll body expects the campaign period for local positions to turn violent as the May 10 polls approach as it has been in past elections.

“Ever since, [the] violence [comes from] local elections. [People are more hot-headed during] local elections,” Jimenez said on Thursday.

He added that since this year’s balloting will make use of the automated-elections system, it is possible that some local candidates would simply resort to violence to win since cheating would be almost impossible.

“There’s that remote and perverse possibility that automation might actually contribute to a slight increase in election violence. [Perhaps the] tendency is to try to preempt the elections by just . . . killing your opponent or, at least, hurting them or whatever,” Jimenez said.

Local candidates starting today will have the remaining 45 days before the May 10 elections to vie for local slots.

There will be a total of 222 seats up for grabs in the House of Representatives, 80 seats each for governors and vice governors, 762 seats for provincial board members, 120 seats each for city mayors and city vice mayors, 1,514 seats each for provincial mayors and vice mayors, 1,346 for city councilors and 12, 116 seats for municipal councilors.

Besides election-related violence, the Comelec is also expecting that local candidates will violate most campaign rules since they have been doing so even before the official period starts.

“The common poster rule, as simple as it may seem, is the law. If they violate it, then they [only show] contempt for the law,” Jimenez said.

“Sobrang dami lang talaga. Kapag dumadaan ka sa maliliit na kalye, hindi mo na makita yung sky, kasi puro streamers [There are a lot of posters. On small streets, you can't see the sky because of the streamers all around],” he added.

Similarly anticipating a rise in election-related violence, the Philippine National Police (PNP) also on Thursday ordered six regions placed on “full-alert status” on the eve of the start of the campaign period for local-government posts.

Spokesman Leonardo Espina of the Philippine National Police, during a press briefing, identified the areas as Regions IX to XIII and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

He told reporters that the main purpose of the order was to “further avert election-related violent incidents and to double the efforts against private armed groups.”

Espina said that Regions I to VIII and Metro Manila were placed on “heightened-alert status” but hinted that the alert level may rise if the situation worsens.

Checkpoints at any given time will continue to be seen in major thoroughfares to thwart criminal activities until after the election gun ban is lifted on July 9.

Espina said that the heightened vigilance will also be seen during the exodus of Filipinos to the provinces to mark Holy Week there as well as the opening of classes in June.

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