BAUKO, Mountain Province – The municipal government is closely working with candidates aspiring for various elected positions in the municipal government for the crafting of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of unified campaigning during the 45-day campaign period to help inform and educate the voters on whom to vote as their leaders on Election Day.
Mayor Abraham B. Akilit claimed that the unified campaigning was a product of repeated consultations by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with the candidates to help in lessening the expenses of the politicians in the upcoming campaign period and during the conduct of the political exercise.
“We are on the process of crafting the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the unified campaigning to lessen the opportunities for vote buying among other comment offenses during the campaign period and more importantly to provide the electorate a chance to scrutinize the platforms of government of those seeking the elected positions in the municipality,” Akilit stressed.
The local chief executive claimed that among the initial agreements that were reached by the candidates coming from different political parties and those running as independent include the equal sharing of the expenses that will be incurred in the political gathering in the 22 barangays of the town and that there will be no caucuses that will be conducted in private places as all political gatherings will be held in public places such as barangay halls and other public structures.
According to him, the implementing rules and regulations governing the conduct of unified campaigning will be released as soon as the Comelec and candidates shall have agreed on the final rules that will be observed for the purpose.
He added that the candidates for the different elective positions in the municipality will be given a chance to present their platform and programs and that the public will be given a chance to scrutinize the same by asking questions directly to the concerned candidates for them to be clarified on the programs that will be presented to them.
Bauko has 22 barangays that are distributed over strategic portions of the Mount Data plateau and serving as one of the biggest municipalities of Mountain Province.
Mayor Akilit expressed confidence on the immediate finalization of the rules and regulations governing the implementation of the unified campaigning in the municipality so that the locality will be able to set an example in helping significantly reduce the expenses of candidates during the conduct of political exercises aside from allowing the electorate to scrutinize their programs and platform of governance.
He claimed that the conduct of unified campaigning will be witnessed by the different sectors of the municipality for them to be independent observers in the conduct of the unified campaigning for the municipality to be able to set the standards for one of the best practices in the campaign trail and during the political exercise.
He urged representatives of the different sectors to actively join the unified campaigning and for them to provide the necessary inputs that will improve the conduct of the same.
By HENT