By Nanette L. Guadacquiver
BACOLOD CITY, (PNA) – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Negros Occidental warned political parties and government officials against openly endorsing candidates as the campaign period for the October 28 barangay elections starts on Friday, Oct. 18.
It will run until midnight of Oct. 26.
Provincial Election Supervisor Jessie Suarez said Thursday that politicians are aware that the barangay elections is a non-political and non-partisan exercise so they should not intervene.
He said that open endorsements like raising the hands of the candidates by an elected or appointed official is a violation that could bar the winning candidate from assuming office.
Records of the COMELEC Provincial Office as of Oct. 16 showed that in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, 1,477 candidates have filed their certificates of candidacy for punong barangay while 14,081, for kagawad.
“We expect 3,000 more candidates to file their COCs,” Suarez said as they were summing up the total number of candidates during the last day of filing Thursday.