THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS (COMELEC) HAS REVISED THE CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE UPCOMING Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) SCHEDULED ON OCT. 30, 2023.

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said on Monday that the revised calendar was necessitated by the commission en banc’s decision to move the date of the filing of certificate of candidacy (CoC) for the BSKE closer to the day of the actual elections.

It was approved by the Comelec on March 22.

Instead of July 3-7, the filing of the CoCs has been moved from August 28 to September 2.

The election period will be from Aug. 29, 2023 to Nov. 29, 2023 as provided for under Section 3 of the Omnibus Election Code in relation to Section 29 of Republic Act (RA) 6646, “An Act Introducing Additional Reforms in the Electoral System and for other Purposes.”

During the election period, it is prohibited to alter the territory of a precinct or establish a new precinct; carry firearms or other deadly weapons; use security personnel or bodyguards by candidates; coerce, threaten, intimidate or terrorize any election official or employee in the performance of his election functions or duties; and transfer or detail officers, employees in the civil service including public school teachers and organizing or maintaining reaction forces, strike forces or similar forces.

Also prohibited are the suspension of any elective official, city, municipal or barangay officer; vote-buying and vote selling; raising of funds through dances, lotteries and cockfights, among others; and wagering on the result of an election.

Other prohibited acts during the campaign period include removing, destroying, obliterating, defacing, tampering or preventing distribution of lawful election propaganda; making any donation or gift in cash or in kind; appointing or using special policemen, special/confidential agents or the like; using armored, land, water or aircraft; policemen and provincial guards acting as bodyguards or security guards of public officials or candidates; undertaking construction or maintenance of barangay-funded roads and bridges; and appointing or hiring new employees, creating new position, promoting, or giving salary increases.

Campaigning is also prohibited on the eve of the election and on election day. Other prohibited acts include the selling, buying, serving or taking of liquor; and giving and accepting free transportation, food, drinks and things of value.

The revised Calendar of Activities also mandates the gun ban period from August 28 to November 4. The campaign period will be from October 19 to 28, while the liquor ban will be in effect from October 28 to 30.

The poll body said that early coordination and security planning with the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Bureau of Investigation will proceed as scheduled.