By Leslie Ann Aquino  There will be no campaigning on Maundy Thursday (April 18) and Good Friday (April 19). Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Luie Guia issued the reminder to candidates running in the May 13 midterm polls on Tuesday. “It’s prohibited on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. It is in the law that these days should be considered as ‘quiet period’,” he said in an interview. “Being a predominantly Catholic country, it is in our law that campaigning is banned on these two days,” added Guia. Guia said this means that candidates are not allowed to hold motorcades and also come out with political advertisements on TV and radio. “Campaigning is the promotion of the election or defeat of a candidate. That is the technical definition of campaigning,” Guia said. “There are many ways to promote a candidacy. But it is safe for candidates to just respect the blessedness and holiness of the occasion,” he added. Asked regarding candidates who take advantage of the occasion by giving bottled water and fans to pilgrims, he warned that this may be considered as vote buying. “Distribution of bottled water or fan or T-shirts is vote buying, plain and simple. Because that is something of value. Vote buying is a crime,” Guia said. Under the law, the Commission may prohibit campaigning activities during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Violation of the prohibitions shall be considered as an election offense, which carries the penalty of one to six years imprisonment, removal of right to vote, and disqualification from holding public office.