Political groups told to follow Comelec campaign rules

CEBU CITY – The local police force told political rally organizers for national candidates to abide by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules and ordinances, particularly the protocols for public gatherings.

Cebu City Police Office information officer, Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, said political parties and their local alliances can avoid being inconvenienced or flagged down if they strictly follow guidelines amid the stricter alert level due to high Cobid-19 cases here. 

“The ultimate source of guidelines and instructions is the Comelec. So when the Comelec says this particular exercise is in order, then we will abide (by it). When the Comelec says it is not, then we will act accordingly,” she said. 

However, Macatangay believed that political sorties organizers are abreast with the local ordinances that put in place certain limits to activities that may generate a huge crowd of people, saying the city government here is the one that would issue permits for the rally. 

Macatangay said the police are not keen on requesting an augmentation force to support the existing personnel that will secure the 80 barangays here for the elections, as authorities have not yet listed a village as an election hotspot, or an area here placed under watch list for record of violence in previous polls. 

She said the local police headquarters have not monitored the presence of private armed groups in the capital city that would warrant a request for augmentation force. 

“Generally speaking, mao na ni sila. However, the PNP is not also prevented from relieving certain police officers under certain circumstances because if you look at the guidelines, as long as the relief is compliant with certain guidelines established by the PNP, naa man na parameters and (the Comelec) subsequently approved it. So the relief would be in order,” she said. 

Mayor Michael Rama also urged political groups to secure permits from the city government before conducting any poll activities. “That’s the best scenario that we are hoping (that) they should keep themselves with Comelec guidelines. They should know the protocols required considering that we are still in a pandemic,” he said. (John Rey Saavedra)