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Comelec sorting out campaign guidelines for Halalan 2022 amid pandemic

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said it is sorting out guidelines for candidates for the 2022 elections campaign period amid the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>In a hearing of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Comelec commissioner Marlon Casquejo said they are planning to impose restrictions on candidates in their looming campaign trail, depending on the quarantine status or alert level system in the area where they will seek votes.</p><p>Casquejo said various categories of restrictions will be implemented by the commission for in-person campaigning, demonstrations, motorcades, and other activities in the campaign period.</p><p>Candidates will have no limitations if they will be conducting in-person lobbying or visiting residents door-to-door in areas under COVID-19 Alert Level 1, as long as they follow minimum health and safety protocols, he said.</p><p>“For example, if in-person campaigning, certain municipalities categorized as Level 1, there will be no limit of person except that we will also exercise the minimum public health standards just like the wearing of face mask and one-meter distancing,&quot; Casquejo told lawmakers.</p><p>&quot;If it is categorized as Level 2, then we will limit only by five campaign support staff (for) each candidate or campaign leader. If it is categorized as Level 3 then tatlo lang (they will only have 3).&quot; </p><p>&quot;If categorized as (Level) 4, there will be no in-person campaigning because medyo mahirap na ‘to (it&#x27;s already difficult). This will be equivalent to MECQ as well as (Level) 5,&quot; he said, referring to the modified enhanced community quarantine, one of the strictest lockdown classifications.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/10/21/duterte-wants-space-for-2022-bets-to-campaign-in-person">Duterte urges Comelec: Give &#x27;space&#x27; for 2022 bets&#x27; in-person campaign</a></li></ul><p>Candidates conducting in-person campaigning will not be allowed to enter voters&#x27; residences even if they are permitted by owners of the houses. Embracing, taking selfies, and other types of physical distancing violations are not allowed.</p><p>Giving away food and drinks is also not permitted.</p><p>Motorcades meanwhile will not have restrictions on number of cars but they will have limits on amount of passengers inside a vehicle.</p><p>Casquejo also said there are campaigning rules and guidelines in use of social media. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/21/comelec-urged-call-out-those-prematurely-campaigning">Watchdog recommends ‘public shaming’ for #Halalan2022 aspirants prematurely campaigning</a></li></ul><p>The poll body official said candidates who will violate guidelines will face stiff penalties, not only for election offenses but also for violation of national and local minimum public health standards.</p><p>He noted the Comelec en banc submitted its set of campaign guidelines on Nov. 3 but its members urged for more time to review it before they give it their approval.</p><div><strong>—Report from Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1825873" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>