MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the distribution of social services should be handled by employees of concerned agencies without the presence of politicians.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the commission would not hinder the distribution of these essential services amid the election ban.
“In social services, the aid for Filipinos in need, the Comelec will not be an obstacle to the education of the poor or scholarships, relief from hunger, burial services, we will not stop that as long as the exemption is clear – how to do it, who will be the beneficiary, how much will be used, and the politician must not be present at the distribution,” he said in a recent interview.
“After all, there is no need for a politician (to be) in the distribution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. When it comes to distribution, only the workers of the department should be there, and no politicians. Those aids are parts of their rights. That should not be abused or used, especially during the election.”
Garcia also sought the understanding of the public, especially in allowing public works to proceed during the election ban.
“I hope everyone understands. In the law, there is a ban on public works and social services. This is a 1985 law. Until that changes, the Comelec will implement that. The situation of Filipinos is different in 1985 and now in 2025. A lot has changed – technology, lifestyle, and country events,” he said, referring to the nearly four-decade-old Batas Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines.
“I hope everyone understands, it is very difficult to stop public works. If the road is muddy when it rains or dusty when it’s sunny, why should we stop the project? So, the exemptions are allowed, which in our opinion is not politics but a project that is included in the budget and has been planned for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco urged qualified individuals to file their Certificates of Authority to carry their firearms, as the election gun ban takes effect on Sunday.
Laudiangco noted that concerned individuals must file their applications with the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns.
“To those that have licenses to own firearms and permits to carry them outside of (their) residence, if you don’t have a Certificate of Authority from the Comelec, you are still violating the law,” he said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.
The gun ban will be in effect for the entire election period from January 12 to June 11.
The ban prohibits the carrying of firearms and deadly weapons outside residence or place of business and in all public places, as well as the transport of firearms and/or their parts, ammunitions and/or their components, and explosives and/or their components and/or controlled chemicals.
Laudiangco added that those found violating the gun ban would be held liable for committing an election offense, which is punishable by imprisonment from one to six years, permanent disqualification from public office, and loss of the right to vote, among others. (PNA)