Comelec recommends disqualification of 8 BSKE bets in Western Visayas for early campaigning
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recommended the disqualification of eight candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30 in Western Visayas for premature campaigning.

CANDIDATES and their supporters in Barangay Taal, Molo District, Iloilo City take a break during the start of the campaign period in the barangay elections on Thursday, October 19. (Tara Yap)
“I have recommended eight candidates for disqualification,” said Dennis Ausan, Comelec-6 director, as the nationwide campaign period in the BSKE started on Thursday, October 19.
“As of today, no candidates are disqualified,” Ausan added. “They can be subjects of formal hearing.”
As of October 19, 325 candidates in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental as well as the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod, were issued show cause-orders by the Comelec Central Office in Manila.
Ausan said that the Comelec Central Office may file cases any time before Election Day.
Majority of these candidates were facing complaints of premature campaigning, particularly on Facebook.
Some were accused of vote-buying, not only in terms of money but also free items such as food. “That’s also a form of vote-buying,” said Ausan.