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Momentum spikes as election period, gun ban for barangay polls begin

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Candidates running for posts in West Rembo, Taguig City show their certificates of candidacy on Aug. 28, 2023. Robert Mano, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/tvpatrol/08/28/westrembo.jpg"/><figcaption>Candidates running for posts in West Rembo, Taguig City show their certificates of candidacy on Aug. 28, 2023. <em>Robert Mano, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Momentum rose among candidates and voters as the election period and gun ban for the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls began on Monday, making local positions in the Philippines&#x27; 42,000 villages officially up for grabs.</p><p>Personnel of the Northern Police District were deployed early Monday in Caloocan and Valenzuela cities to set up checkpoints enforcing the gun ban. </p><p>NPD director BGen. Rizalito Gapas personally inspected some of the checkpoints, along with officers from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Metro Manila&#x27;s northern Camanava region.</p><p>Some motorists at EDSA-Monumento were asked to pull over by authorities for inspection, with some of them voicing support for the move. </p><p>&quot;Parang tama lang din yung ganito para maano iyong mga walang lisensya na tumatakbo... Mabilis lang ang proseso, check lang license at papel ng motor,&quot; motorcycle rider Rodrigo Sangobyer said. </p><p>(I think it&#x27;s just right that they did this so that they could apprehend motorists without licenses. The process was quick, they only checked my license and registration.)</p><p>In Valenzuela City, a man was arrested for possessing a handgun in direct violation of the Comelec gun ban.</p><p>Valenzuela police station commander Col. Salvador Destura Jr. said they had received calls early Monday morning about the man, who was loitering the city&#x27;s streets while wielding a firearm. </p><p>Destura added his station has yet to determine the man&#x27;s background and previous whereabouts.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/27/23/bske-election-period-gun-ban-start-on-aug-28">BSKE election period, gun ban start on August 28</a></li></ul><div><strong>MAKATI-TAGUIG ROW CONTINUES</strong></div><p>The effects of the Makati-Taguig dispute on the EMBO barangays could still be felt during the first day of the election period, even after the Supreme Court ruled that these villages were already under Taguig&#x27;s control.</p><p>Supporters of candidates in East Rembo could be seen waving placards saying &quot;Makati Pa Rin&quot; in a show of defiance of the Supreme Court ruling. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/04/23/its-final-bgc-belongs-to-taguig-says-supreme-court">It&#x27;s final: Supreme Court says Taguig has jurisdiction over BGC</a></li></ul><p>One of the supporters personally appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intervene in the Makati-Taguig row, fearing they would stand to lose numerous benefits they had enjoyed from the Makati government.</p><p>&quot;Marami pong benefits na mawawala po sa amin, tulad ng mga pamilya po naming may sakit. Malaking tulong po ang ibinigay ni [Makati Mayor] Abby Binay sa amin. Libre po ang medicine, libre ang hospitalization, libre ang school,&quot; a supporter said.</p><p>(We would lose a lot of benefits, especially for our sick family members. Mayor Abby Binay has helped us a lot with free medicine, free hospitalization, and free schooling.)</p><p>A candidate in Barangay South Daanghari, Taguig, meanwhile, said that he filed his COC early to set a &quot;good example.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Inagahan namin upang ipakita... [na] maging good example as barangay captain and barangay kagawad upang ito&#x27;y maglingkod nang tunay at maibigay ang serbisyong makatao,&quot; he said. </p><p>(We filed our COCs early to show a good example, that as barangay captains and council members, we should serve truly and provide proper services.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/27/23/expect-hotly-contested-brgy-polls-in-october-comelec">Expect &#x27;hotly contested&#x27; barangay, SK polls this October: Comelec</a></li></ul><div><strong>&#x27;PEACEFUL&#x27; SO FAR</strong></div><p>Hundreds of barangay bets also flocked to the Amoranto Sports Arena in Quezon City to file their COCs.</p><p>As of 9 a.m. Monday, there were hundreds waiting in queues.</p><p>In the City of Manila, meanwhile, cinemas were designated as alternative venues for filing because the local Comelec office could not accommodate the crowd.</p><p>The first day of COC filing has so far been &quot;peaceful,&quot; Comelec chairman George Garcia said, saying the increased turnout showed that people &quot;trust the process.&quot;</p><p>But Garcia noted an incident in Manila where an SK aspirant presented a falsified birth certificate in an attempt to skirt the age requirement for youth council bets.</p><p>Cases of perjury and falsification of public document will be filed against the aspirant.</p><div><strong>—Reports from Raffy Cabristante, Lyza Aquino, Robert Mano, and Victoria Tulad, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xGq1UjRL5uw?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The barangay election period began on Monday, making local positions in the Philippines' 42,000 villages officially up for grabs.