MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday warned that barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election candidates engaged in premature campaigning will face appropriate sanctions.
Garcia explained that as the barangay and SK elections will be done manually, those who will file their certificate of candidacy from September 28 to October 5 will be considered as candidates even before the start of the campaign period on October 22, 2026.
READ: 10 BSKE winners disqualified due to premature campaigning, vote-buying’
In automated elections, aspirants will only considered as candidates at the start of the campaign period.
“‘Yung mga iikot na kandidato o yung nagfile ng candidacy nila ng September 28 to October 5, pag umikot ng October 6, nangampanya, namigay ng kung ano, kayo ay kakasuhan ng imprisonment na one to six years at disqualification. Seryosohang usapan yan,” Garcia said in Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
(Candidates who filed their candidacies from September 28 to October 5 and start campaigning on October 6, will face imprisonment of one to six years and disqualification. This is a serious matter.)
READ: Comelec sets COC filing for BSKE on Sept. 28 to Oct. 5
The campaign period will run from October 22, 2026 to October 31, 2026. The elections will be held on November 2, 2026 after it was postponed last year.
“Pinagbabawal natin yung paggamit ng state resources lalo na sa mga nakaupong barangay officials. Tatandaan yung paggamit ng sasakyan ng barangay, barangay hall sa pamumulitika o paggamit ng budget ng barangay ay imomonitor po namin yan,” Garcia added.
(We are prohibiting the use of state resources, especially from incumbent barangay officials. We will monitor the use of barangay vehicles, barangay halls, and using barangay’s funds for political purposes. /gsg
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