ANTIQUE – A total of 20,781 aspirants for the October barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) in the province from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2.
Atty. Salud Milagros Villanueva, provincial election supervisor, said they are still segregating the COC per town and are yet to determine the number of unopposed candidates.
Antique is composed of 18 towns: San Jose de Buenavista, Anini-y, Hamtic, Bugasong, Libertad, Valderrama, San Remigio, Patnongon, Caluya, Culasi, Tibiao, Pandan, Belison, Pandan, Sibalom, Barbaza, Sebaste, and Tobias Fornier.
Villanueva said the COC filing period has been smooth, and every municipal election office reported zero untoward incidents.
The election officer also reminded the aspirants not to engage in premature campaigning or face imprisonment and disqualification.
Premature campaigning is stipulated in Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code.
It states that “it shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not a voter or candidate, or for any party or association of persons, to engage in an election campaign or partisan political activity except during the campaign period.”
Acts considered premature campaigning include:
* putting up or attaching posters or campaign materials in a public place
* going to houses to campaign
* even posting posters or campaign materials on social media sites.
The important dates for the 2023 barangay and SK elections are:
* Aug. 28 to Nov. 29 – election period, gun ban
* Aug. 28 to Sept. 2 – filing of certificate of candidacy
* Sept. 3 to Oct. 18 – campaigning is prohibited
* Oct. 19 to Oct. 28 – campaign period
* Oct. 29 to Oct. 30 – campaigning is prohibited, liquor ban
* Oct. 30 – election day (voting hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
* Nov. 29 – last day to file a Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. (With a report from Radyo Bandera Sweet FM Antique)/PN
