Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco (File photo) MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said it is expected to complete all preparations for this year's Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in May. Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the preparations for the upcoming polls started last year since the original schedule of the election was in December but was moved to 2023. "We hope that before May, the Comelec will be ready. Even though the election is still on October 30, earlier than May, the Comelec is 100 percent ready to conduct the election," he said at the Laging Handa briefing. He said the printing of the ballots has resumed since it started in 2022. "Other election materials, thumbprint markers, ballpens, folders, schools are being prepared," he said. Laudiangco said they may ask for an additional PHP3 billion budget. "Since registration has opened again, we were given an additional PHP2.5 billion. B
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan - The National Telecommunications Commission, (NTC) together with the local government units (LGUs) and the telecommunication companies, will facilitate SIM card registration in remote areas of the Ilocos Region. NTC-Ilocos Region legal officer Ana Minelle Maningding, in a forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency Pangasinan, said on Tuesday that the first remote SIM card registration will be in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte on Wednesday (Jan. 24). She said there are no other schedules yet but they are expecting to conduct more satellite SIM card registrations in areas that have poor or no internet signal. She added that the LGUs and the telecommunication companies will be assisting them in the activity. "They may also report lost or stolen phones as well as report spam," she said. Maningding urged the public to register their SIM cards in accordance with Republic Act 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module or SIM Registration Act. "This is helpful
MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has moved the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to the later part of October from the original schedule set on the first week of the month. In a revised calendar of activities for the upcoming polls released Thursday, the poll body approved the new filing period from Oct. 6 to 13 to Oct. 22 to 29, except for Oct. 23, which falls on a Sunday. Candidates in the village and youth polls may file their COCs at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) in their city or municipality. The date of filing period of COC is stated in Section 7 of Republic Act (RA) 6679 in relation to Section 29 of RA 6646. Also, the election period and start of gun ban have been moved from Oct. 6 to Dec. 12 to Nov. 6 to Dec. 20, 2022. On the other hand, the Nov. 25 to Dec. 3 campaign period was maintained. Voting hours on election day will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The last day for the filing of candidat
FACE-TO-FACE APPREHENSION. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority enforcers flag down violators along Roxas Boulevard in Paranaque City on Sept. 1, 2022. The agency deployed more personnel after the No Contact Apprehension Policy was temporarily stopped by the Supreme Court on August 30. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan) MANILA - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) requested the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to temporarily lift the tagging and alarm of vehicles apprehended under the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) following the issuance of a temporary restraining Order (TRO) by the Supreme Court late last month. In his letter to LTO's service provider Stradcom Corporation, MMDA acting Chairman Carlo Dimayuga III said a significant number of motor vehicle owners and/or buyers whose vehicles are tagged and placed under an alarm with the LTO under the NCAP cannot renew and/or transfer the registration of their motor vehicles since their payment for fines cannot b
MANILA - The move of the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a temporary restraining order against the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) would allow the House of Representatives to review alleged flaws, including the constitutionality of the policy, a lawmaker said on Wednesday. Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the chamber would be looking into the issues hounding the policy, arguing that these should be resolved first despite the laudable intent of NCAP to discipline "erring, abusive and wayward" motorists. "The SC's issuance of a TRO versus NCAP is laudable and timely. This would provide a chance for the members of the Lower House and all concerned stakeholders to review and study thoroughly the alleged flaws in the NCAP implementation," Barbers said. 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, meanwhile, said government agencies and local government units that enforced the controversial policy should return the fines paid by supposed violators. "Now