MANILA—Partido Lakas ng Masa presidential candidate Leody De Guzman said Tuesday that campaign caravans and motorcades should be banned in the country and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should lead a centralized campaign for candidates.

This developed after vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio earlier announced that motorcades would be banned in Davao City due to the recent surge in oil prices, saying traffic jams may lead to more losses for public utility vehicle drivers.

De Guzman said campaign caravans and motorcades were costly and did not elevate the discourse on elections.

“Ang mga campaign caravan at/o motorcade ay maaksaya at mas nagagamit pang-bandwagon ng mapeperang kandidato. Higit pa d’yan, walang naiaambag ang mga ito para itaas ang diskurso ng halalan,” De Guzman said in a statement.

(Campaign caravans and/or motorcades are costly and just used as a bandwagon by rich candidates. Moreover, they do nothing to raise the election discourse.)

“Sang-ayon ako na ang mga ganitong aktibidad ay di na dapat pahintulutan.”

(I agree that such activities should no longer be allowed.)

Presidential contender @LeodyManggagawa agrees to Davao City's move to ban campaign caravans but it should not hinder them from campaigning in rival hometowns. Sara-Duterte Carpio serves is the incumbent city mayor of Davao #Halalan2022 | @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/7G8Legih7U

— Josiah Antonio (@josiahvantonio) March 8, 2022

Meanwhile, De Guzman said the campaign ban should not be used to prohibit candidates from campaigning in their rival’s hometowns.

He suggested having a centralized campaign led by the Comelec where all candidates are introduced and given time to explain their platforms.

“Ang pagbabawal ng Davao City (local government unit)’s sa ganitong mga aktibidad ay di dapat magamit para pigilan ang pangangampanya ng mga katunggali ng kanilang padrino,” he said.

(The Davao City LGU ban on such activities should not be used to stop opponents campaigning in a candidate’s bailiwick.)

“Mas mainam kung ito ay isasapatakaran ng Comelec at umpisahan na ang mga reporma sa halalan katulad ng sentralisadong pangangampanya na kung saan ang pagpapakilala at pagpapalaganap ng plataporma ng mga kandidato ay di nakabatay sa sariling kakayahang gumastos ng kandidato kundi ay pondohan ito ng estado at pantay na gagawin para sa lahat ng kandidato.”

(I prefer to see the Comelec enact this and initiate electoral reforms, such as centralized campaigning where introducing a candidate and making their platforms known are not based on the candidate’s ability to spend. The state must fund campaigns and equally for all candidates.)

RELATED VIDEO:

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv