MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday, October 6, appealed to those who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) this week to refrain from “indirect campaigning.”

The Comelec said the prospective candidates should do this “out of delicadeza,” according to Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr, who tweeted the message a day after the COC filing period ended. He said the media should also not give candidates “unnecessary exposure… in the guise of interviews.”

“Regardless of what you call it, it can readily be misinterpreted as indirect campaigning (or) implied endorsement… Media exposure of a limited number of prospective candidates causes undue disadvantage to others not afforded the same opportunity,” Brillantes explained through his Twitter account @ChairBrillantes.

He said the Comelec is making this appeal due to the absence of any prohibition against premature campaigning.

Earlier, Brillantes had acknowledged that the Comelec cannot punish premature campaigning. He explained that the Supreme Court, in a November 2009 decision, decriminalized this.

He referred to the Supreme Court decision on the Penera vs Comelec case, in which the Court emphasized that “any person who files his certificate of candidacy within (the filing) period shall only be considered a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his certificate of candidacy.”

“Right now, we can’t do anything,” Brillantes said in an interview with reporters. “We can only shout. But once the campaign period starts, it is when we can enforce the provision of the law.”

The campaign period for senatorial candidates and partylist groups will start on Feb 12, 2013, while the campaign period for congressional and other candidates will begin on March 29, 2013.

The COC filing process itself, however, had the marks of a campaign. Many of those who filed COCs came with supporters, streamers, and loudspeakers to drum up their candidacies. Brillantes denounced this “circus” atmosphere. 

Last Monday, October 1, satirical activist Mae Paner, also known as Juana Change, criticized “epals” or attention-grabbing politicians who want to run 2013. “The more you think they change, the more they stay the same,” Paner said. (Watch more in the video below.)

On Friday, October 5, Brillantes said the week-long COC filing period ended peacefully, with 84 filing senatorial candidacies. – Rappler.com