Article by:
Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – Senator Manny Pacquiao is urging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to suspend rules that hinder candidates from helping disaster victims, such as residents of Eastern Visayas affected by Tropical Depression Agaton.
The presidential aspirant said Tuesday he would make a formal request to the Comelec to allow him to help the victims.
The law prohibits candidates from giving out money and other items that may be construed as vote-buying.
“Sa ngayon, gusto ko mang tumulong at kung payagan tayo ng Comelec na tumulong, tayo ay tutulong tayo na hindi magkakaroon ng conflict doon sa kandidatura natin (Right now, I want to help and if Comelec allows it, we will help in a manner that would not be in conflict with our candidacy),” he said in a statement.
If his request is turned down, Pacquiao said he would ask his friends instead to help provide aid.
The Omnibus Election Code states vote-buying or selling involves “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.”
Any person, association, corporation, group, or community who solicits or receives, directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or employment, public or private, for any of these considerations may also be accused of vote-buying or selling.
Signal No. 1 was up over Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Camotes Island in Cebu as of 4 p.m. Tuesday but thousands have already been displaced while at least 25 have been reported dead in Eastern Visayas.
In Baybay City, Leyte, the villages of Can-ipa, Mailhi, Bunga, Gacat, Kantagnos, Bubon, Imelda, Makinhas, Maypatag, and Villa Solidaridad are flooded and have experienced landslides. (PNA)
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