Comelec Chair. George Garcia | The Source
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan candidates go all out with the opening of the 10-day campaign period.
But blatant violations have been recorded despite constant reminders against illegal campaigning.
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia joins us in the program.
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But blatant violations have been recorded despite constant reminders against illegal campaigning.
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia joins us in the program.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
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NewsTranscript
00:00 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines.
00:14 I'm Pinky Webb.
00:15 The Commission on Elections vows it will push through tearing down illegal campaign materials
00:20 after recording several violations during the first day of the campaign period for the
00:24 Barangay in Sangguniang, Cavatahan elections.
00:27 Just one day into the 10-day campaign period, the poll body has issued over a hundred show-cause
00:33 orders for illegal campaigning.
00:35 It warned illegal campaigning can be a ground for disqualification and may result in an
00:40 election offense.
00:41 Let's go straight to the source of the story.
00:43 We have Comelec Chairman George Garcia.
00:45 Chairman, good to see you.
00:46 Welcome to The Source, sir.
00:47 Good morning, Ma'am Pinky.
00:48 Good morning to all the televiewers.
00:49 Mga kababayan po natin.
00:50 Magandang umaga.
00:51 So, nag-arangkada na po.
00:52 Barangkada na kahapon.
00:53 The start of the 10-day campaign period, how would you assess the first day, sir?
00:59 Kumplyant pa rin naman po yung ating mga kababayan.
01:03 Medyo may ilan lang ng mga pasaway.
01:06 Yung mga naglalagay pa rin sa mga poste at sa mga kawad ng kuryente.
01:10 Wag na po na sana nilang gagawin.
01:12 Alam mo mga Pinky, generally naman napakaayos, napaka-peaceful nung unang araw.
01:15 Kaya lang ang napapansin natin, ito po kasi mga kandidato natin, pinapabayaan yung mga
01:20 supporters nila o yung mga tauha nila na magkabit ng mga campaign materials.
01:24 Hindi nila na-orient o na-train man lang.
01:26 Kaya hindi alam nung mga nagkakabit kung saan dapat ikabit at ano yung mga prohibited
01:31 na pagkakabitan at kung ano yung sizes lang ng requirement natin.
01:35 Sana, sana sa mga natitira pang walong araw mula ngayong araw na ito, sana mabigyan nila
01:40 ng tamang gabay yung kanila po mga supporters.
01:43 That is their responsibility, sir.
01:46 Kung plano nila magsingi.
01:48 That's right.
01:49 So, sana, sa kandidatiho ba, dapat disiplinado sila at kailan turuan nila yung kanila mga
01:54 supporters na gawin yung tama at legal?
01:57 Tama po ma'am.
01:59 Kasi sa bandang huli sila naman po ang mag-disqualify at nakakasuan.
02:02 Hindi naman po yung mga nagpo-postering natin o yung mga nagpo-operation kabit.
02:06 And that's why again the obligation belongs to the candidates.
02:10 It is their duty, it is their mandate, and at the same time sila po ang responsible dito
02:16 at may liability.
02:17 But you know, Chairman, what happens for example in cases na hindi naman po yung kanilang supporters
02:23 na naglagay dun sa non-common poster areas?
02:28 For example, may isa pong kandidato ay gusto sirahan yung isang kandidato at got wind or
02:35 has in their possession some of the posters at ilalagay dun sa mga non-common poster areas.
02:42 How does that work out?
02:44 Mam Pinky, kumita na po kasi yung ganung klaseng dahilan.
02:48 Matagal na pong kumita yun.
02:49 So hindi na po natin yun masyadong kakagatin.
02:52 Pat sa atin po, nilagay yung iba, itanggalin mo.
02:55 Ikaw naman yun lang.
02:56 Itanggalin mo dahil illegally posted.
02:59 Pababayaan mo.
03:00 So pag pinabayaan mo, ikaw talaga ang kakasuhan namin.
03:02 Ikaw yung i-inform at i-notify po namin.
03:04 So again, dyan naman po papasok na muli yung responsibility mo bilang isang kandidato.
03:09 Watch your back.
03:10 But at the same time, watch your people also.
03:12 Right. So mas strict po yung rules that were implemented, hindi po pa, this campaign period.
03:19 Bawal po mga T-shirt, bawal ang ballerers, bawal ang mga caps at mga tokens.
03:25 What made this campaign period, what pushed you to make this campaign period stricter?
03:32 And ano pa po yung mga bawal?
03:34 Mam Pinky, matagal na po actually mga rules na yan.
03:38 Batas pa nga yung mga yan. Hindi lang po rules na promulgated ng COMELEC.
03:42 We would like to make a difference.
03:43 Ibig sabihin, we would like to set a standard from now on that should really be the mode of campaign,
03:49 that should really be how the candidates should behave in all our elections.
03:53 Kung dati-dati napapalampas sila, e wag po ngayon dahil gusto natin magset ng standard so that sa mga susunod na election, ganyan lang po talaga dapat ang ginagawa natin.
04:02 If we have the support of the people, yung ati mga constituencies, gusto naman po lahat nila yan.
04:07 Bawal magpakain before, during and after a campaign meeting.
04:10 Bawal magpakain kahit sa mga rallies.
04:12 Bawal po yung pamimigay na mga sinabi nyo na kanina.
04:16 Kahit po small items lang, hindi naman pinag-uusapan kung magkano ang liit o laki ng presyo ng item na yan.
04:23 Dahil yung batas kung gusto nyo pwede baguhin natin ng batas pero Congreso magbabago.
04:28 Hindi naman kami, we are going to strictly implement the law.
04:31 That is our mandate and we will have to discipline yung ating mga kandidato.
04:36 Q: To be clear, pag mayroong umiikot na kandidato at yung kanyang supporters, yung kanyang supporters pwede nakasuot ng bowler, may cap at may t-shirt, pero no limited number lamang, is that correct?
04:49 A: 5 lang po sila, ma'am Pinky. Therefore kasama na yung kandidato na yan.
04:55 Sa akin po, pag napakadami na po, ibig sabihin na migay siya ng t-shirts na yan, vote-balling na po yun.
05:00 Napakahira po may case, inuulit natin sa mga kandidato.
05:04 Pag may case kayo sa amin, kita nyo po, issuan ng show-cause orders, 7,000 po yun.
05:09 Nag-hire ng lawyer, sumagot sa amin. Tapos pag may disqualification case ka pa, talagang sigurado mag-hire ka ng abogado.
05:15 Mahal pa po yun, maka mas malaki pa ang magastos mo kesa dun sa kampanya mo.
05:19 Siguro mas maganda traditional mode of campaigning atsaka yung social media. Tutalaman libre sa social media.
05:26 Q: So just to clarify again, pag umiikot ang kandidato, pwede magsuot si candidate at 4 nakasamahan lamang niya?
05:38 Kasi sabi niyo total of 5 including the candidate, ng mga t-shirt, ballers and caps. Tama ho sir?
05:45 A: Tama po, ma'am Pinky. Yan lang po yung ating pinapayagat.
05:50 Q: That should be clear. So pag umiikot sila, hindi ba nakasanaya dati nagbibigay ng t-shirt, ballers, caps? They cannot do that.
06:01 You were saying matagal na po yung batas na yun but you will strictly implement it this time around?
06:08 A: Yes. Kaya hanggang kahapon, kahapon lang, unang araw, 134 na kaagad.
06:12 So yung show-cause natin, katulad ng pinapakita sa inyo mga TV screen, yung gumagamit pa ng mga tricycle, hindi naman natin pipigilan.
06:20 Pero kung yung mismo tricycle driver, pagkatapos yung mga nakasakay sa tricycle, nakat-t-shirt, lahat ng ganyan, hindi po yung lima.
06:26 Kung hindi sobra, sa lima po. And therefore, manalagut po sa amin yung mga kandidato.
06:30 Angina, Chairman, hanggang lima lang. The poster, sir, na nakakabit sa mga tricycle, let's say siya ay supporter ni candidate A, is that okay?
06:42 Yung po kasing mga tricycle, yan po ay private property and therefore hindi po namin yan masasaklaw.
06:48 Kaya lang kung yung nakalagay sa tricycle ay mas malaki pa sa tricycle, mas malaki sa 2x3, yan po, kakasuhan namin yung mismo kandidato at i-re-remind namin siya.
06:56 So susulatan po namin to remove all this campaign materials. In fact, pwede po namin isama yan sa Operation Baklas na ginagawa at gagawin ng Commission on Election.
07:04 So again, 2x3 lang po lalo sa private property. Pinapayagan natin ang private property so long as may consent yung private owners po.
07:12 But again, 2x3. Ma'am, may mga style po ang ginagawa pa ang mga kandidato. 2x3 nga, ang ginagawa pinagsasama-sama yung 2x3 nila, hindi na 2x3 yan.
07:21 Dapat po 2x3 kahit magkakasama lahat yung isang pangkato o isang grupo."
07:27 Talagang maghahanap ng paraan para dumami. So 2x3, whether it's yung kanilang mode of transportation o yung kanilang bahay, with the consent of course of the owner.
07:40 Chairman, I just need to take a short break. This is The Source on CNN Philippines. Please stay tuned.
07:45 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines. I'm Pinky Webb, our source today, Kamalai Chairperson or Chairman, George Garcia.
07:58 Chairman, give us a rundown sir yung ilan na yung number ng show-cause, yung illegal campaigning, early campaigning, atsaka illegal campaigning sir?
08:09 "Sa premature campaigning meron tayong almost 7,000 na show-cause orders. At the same time we already filed almost 200 disqualification cases of which by yesterday may mga nag-decision na po.
08:22 Hopefully before Oct. 30, lahat ng 200 disqualification cases na yan ay madesisyon na ng KOMILEC. Again, we committed to the public, to our people, we will disqualify candidates, we will remove their names from the list of candidates...
08:37 ... but at the same time, those who will be elected, even if there is no disqualification resolution yet, we can still disqualify them even after the election.
08:46 Now, when it comes to cases involving violation of our campaigning rules, yung mga illegal campaign materials, almost 134 na po as of kahapon.
08:56 First day pa lamang po. And again, we are going to do that every day. We're going to issue show-cause orders and file na po kagad ng file ng mga cases kaagad."
09:03 "You have a lot on your hands, Chairman Dijuba. Parang ang hirap because you're already saying that number one, 200 na yung disqualification cases niya, you're hoping that these will be resolved the soonest possible time.
09:17 Sana bago nga po mag-eleksyon but if that doesn't happen, they can still be disqualified if that is the decision after the elections. But 200, would that be a lot, sir? Madami ba yan?
09:32 And are you expecting more?"
09:33 "Yes ma'am. In the past, ma'am Pinky, wala naman nagkaroon ng filing ng mga premature campaigning kahit ng mga nakaraang baranggay ng SK election. So this is the first step.
09:43 Now, yung 200 na disqualification, premature campaigning pa lang yan. There are other disqualification cases which we are resolving.
09:50 But we are now resolving, yung kung Nuisance candidates, ma'am Pinky, I committed in your program before that we will resolve all Nuisance cases before the elections para hindi naman po makakatakpo ang panggulo lang at panlito sa mga botante natin.
10:05 Ngayon po lilima na lang ang pending namin ng Nuisance cases because we were able to resolve in the last two weeks yung mga Nuisance cases.
10:12 So kaya po namin yan basta po may understanding kami at may commitment kami na talagang we will have to immediately resolve these cases prior to the election."
10:20 "Chairman, you were talking about social media. Sabi mo nga, pwede ka naman mangampanya through social media. Meron ho bang tumututok on let's say black propaganda and disinformation? Is that part of your mandate?"
10:34 "Ma'am Pinky, yan po yung problem talaga natin. Number one, kulang kami sa resources. Number two, it's also because of our present law on social media.
10:43 Technically po, ma'am Pinky, wala po tayong social media regulation in the Philippines. Kahit sa U.S., they are attempting to pass a social media regulation law but unfortunately may issue po kasi ng constitutionality especially on the issue of the freedom of expression.
10:59 So as far as the common is concerned, practically everybody can download something in the social media. In fact, pwede nga po outside of the country and how can you even prosecute them?
11:08 What the common can only monitor, ma'am Pinky, under the present or given circumstances, yun lang po expenditure nila. Lalo yung mga nagpapaboost no mga nasa kanilang social media accounts."
11:19 "I see. Okay. So sir, siguro kailangan ng apila sa mga kandidato because I wanna move to yung trial run for the automated polls. Siguro sir, it's important to know saan po ito magaganap at ilan?"
11:41 "Yes, ma'am Pinky. Meron po tayong tatlong barangay, dalong barangay sa Tasmarinas, Cavite at dito sa Pasuntamo sa District 6 ng Quezon City na kun saan automated po ang barangay ng SK elections but at the same time, mabilis na mabilis lang po, meron din po tayong early voting hours, 5 to 7 o'clock sa Montilupa at Naga City at meron po tayong 11 na malls na gagamitin sa Metro Manila, sa Legazpi at sa Cebu para sa mall voting po natin. Ito po yung mga special projects natin."
12:08 "Sir don't worry, I think we still have time. Yung automated election system, ilang barangay po? I didn't quite get that. Is that 2 and 2?"
12:18 "3 barangays ma'am. 2 barangays in Tasmarinas, Cavite and 1 barangay in District 6 of Quezon City."
12:25 "Bakit who silang napili for the automated election system?"
12:30 "Yes ma'am. Meron dapat na barangay sa NCR, meron barangay outside ng NCR. At the same time, isang small, medium and large barangay. Yung large barangay, malaki-malaki yang nasa Quezon City."
12:43 "I think barangay Commonwealth, chairman, yung isa sa pinaka-malaking barangay. Am I correct sir?"
12:50 "Yes ma'am. Pero ito po Pasuntamo po itong barangay natin."
12:54 "This is going to be a first, hindi ba?"
12:58 "Yes ma'am. First time po tayo mag-automate ng BSKE."
13:02 "Okay. And then you were saying that there will be early voting, 5 to 7 a.m."
13:09 "Yes ma'am. Dito po sa Buntilupa and meron din po tayo sa Naga City, early voting hours, 5 to 7 exclusively. Again, exclusively for senior citizens, PWDs and heavily pregnant women."
13:23 "Para naman po tutal, senior citizens maagang gumising, exclusive sa kanila, hindi sila mahahalo sa mga regular na votante po natin."
13:30 "Bakit doon lang po sa mga lugar nayon?"
13:34 "Yes ma'am. At least po, pilot test lang din muna. Isa sa NCR and election officer po namin is very much willing to proceed with early voting at isa po sa Naga City outside ng NCR."
13:45 "Got it sir. Very quickly, just to get more information, you were still, there are doubts and questions on the outcome of the past presidential elections.
14:00 You made a proposal, Chairman, you gave a proposal to actually, paano nga huhu ba open up some of the ballots na the respondents can even choose ilan pong balots at kum saan.
14:13 Mangyayari huhu ba 'to, Chairman Garcia?"
14:16 "I initially talked to the members of the NBank and they are so responsive, positive sa atin pong proposal. Just to settle once and for all, all these doubts as regards the integrity of the results of the previous election."
14:30 "At the same time, this will guide also the Comelec in our procurement process and at least in the future elections when we are going to choose the supplier for the new machines for the 2025 elections."
14:41 "The best evidence always, always in an election are the original ballots inside the ballot boxes. Although ginawa na po natin yan, Mang Piggy, meron tayong random manual audit, 99.9% ang accuracy."
14:53 "Ginawa rin po ng PPCRP, 99.97% ang accuracy. But to settle once and for all, I'm offering even to the respondent, to the petitioner in the case na pinapa disqualify nile smartmatic."
15:05 "Sabi ko, sige po kung gusto niyo one per region, at our expense, you choose the precinct that you want and you choose the position that you want."
15:13 "I think that's a win-win situation. During the hearing po, they are so responsive, they are so amenable to such a proposal."
15:20 "So this actually might happen?"
15:22 "Yes ma'am, we will push through with that."
15:25 "Alright, Comelec chairperson, George Garcia sir, as always, maraming salamat po sa inyong oras."
15:31 "Salamat po Mang Piggy, mabuhay po kayo."
15:33 "Thank you for joining us here on The Source. I'm Pinky Webb, you're watching CNN Philippines."
15:38 [Music]