GMA, FPJ, ROCO, LACSON ASKED TO EXPLAIN EARLY CAMPAIGN
MANILA, February 7, 2004 (STAR) President Arroyo and three other candidates have been asked by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to explain why they violated a rule against early campaigning for the May 10 presidential election.Mrs. Arroyo, main opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., independent candidate Raul Roco and opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson were all cited by the poll body for putting up election posters even before the campaign period officially starts on Feb. 10.
Theoretically, the candidates can be disqualified if found guilty of violating the ban, the Comelec said. However, no Filipino candidate has ever been disqualified for early campaigning.
"No one is above the law," said Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, remarking that the candidates failed to take down all their campaign posters after being ordered to do so last week.
Earlier, a lawyer named Adrian Sison also filed a disqualification case against Roco and Lacson for their "infomercials" on television.
Separate but similar petitions were also reportedly filed by two election officers against Mrs. Arroyo and Poe for displaying their campaign posters ahead of the scheduled start of the campaign period.
Candidates in the May 10 polls are not supposed to stick up election posters or openly campaign before Feb. 10 but this rule was widely ignored with banners, stickers and flyers being put up as early as late 2003.
Abalos said Mrs. Arroyo and her three rivals could respond in writing and did not have to appear in person.
For his part, Roco said it’s Mrs. Arroyo who should be charged with electioneering as she started her premature campaigning as early as Oct. 5 last year when she declared her presidential bid.
Roco noted that the President even used government resources when she made the declaration at the Expo Filipino grounds at the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
He was apparently not bothered by the same electioneering charges against him as he claimed that the Comelec ruling has many loopholes. He refused to elaborate.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign spokesman Michael Defensor announced yesterday that the President’s kick-off campaign rally on Feb. 10 would be in Cavinti, Laguna.
"Laguna will be the kick off because we are strengthening our foothold in Mega Manila and Laguna is one of the major provinces within the area of Mega Manila," Defensor said.
"We will also be starting off the campaign with a Mass and the President would like to have it at the highest point in Laguna, which is in Cavinti," he explained to Palace reporters.
Defensor added that Mrs. Arroyo, her running mate Sen. Noli de Castro and the K-4 team would have a series of "whistle-stops" in Louisiana, Majayjay, Magdalena, Sta. Rosa and Cabuyao towns.
They will also have a town hall meeting in Nagcarlan, a coalition caucus in Los Baños, a rally in Calamba and will spend the night in San Pedro.
Defensor disclosed that he would go on official leave of absence effective Feb. 15 as Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman in order to assume his full role as official campaign spokesman and chief of the media bureau of Mrs. Arroyo and her national ticket.
He said he would recommend to Mrs. Arroyo either of the two of his deputies at HUDCC — Undersecretaries Amado Bagatsing and Armando de Castro — to be appointed as officer-in-charge. — Jose Aravilla, Marichu Villanueva, Sheila Crisostomo, AFP
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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