The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) admitted that they could not charge politicians for 'premature campaigning' until they could not file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the May 13, 2013 elections.

"We would like to emphasize that while politicians have not filed their COCs yet, they are still free to roam around the country even they are obviously into premature campaigning," said DILG Sec. Jessie Robredo during his recent visit in Iloilo City.

Based on the calendar of activities of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the filing of COCs will be on October 1-5, 2012 and the campaign period will be on Feb. 12 to May 11, 2013.

Robredo said after the filing of COCs, politicians should wait for the campaign period to start. Otherwise, they will be charged with "premature campaigning" once caught during the period.

Premature campaigning could lead to suspension of COCs.

RECALL

Meanwhile, all organic members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who act as security escorts of several politicians, will be ordered by Comelec to go back to their mother units once the election period starts on January 13 and will last to June 12, 2013.

Comelec regional director Atty. Dennis Ausan said politicians that need security escorts will request such from their office including their reasons. He said their office decides on the request based from their assessment of the situation.

Ausan added that the National Police Commission (Napolcom) also has its implementing guidelines in regulating their personnel during the election period.

HOT SPOTS

Ausan said they will be coordinating with the PNP and AFP to determine if a place is an "election area of concern" or an "election area of immediate concern."

The classification will depend on, among others, the intensity of political rivalry in an area.

The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) has placed 48 areas, including 40 towns and eight cities in Western Visayas, under the watchlist of election hot spots.

The PRO-6 categorized the areas as Category 1 and 2. Category 1 means there were previous cases of intense political rivalries and violence in the places while category 2 means New People's Army (NPA) rebels are active or present in the areas.

Iloilo had the most areas on the list with 16 hot spots, followed by Negros Occidental with 10, Antique with eight, Aklan with seven, Capiz with five and Guimaras with two.

Placed under Category 1 in Iloilo are the towns of Anilao, Duenas, Estancia, Maasin and San Enrique and Passi City. Classified as Category 2 in the same province are the towns of Bingawan, Calinog, Guimbal, Igbaras, Lambunao, Leon, Miag-ao, San Joaquin and Tubungan.

Also classified under Category 1 in Negros Occidental is the town of Pulupandan while Category 2 in the same province are the towns of Moises Padilla and Candoni and the cities of Escalante, Sipalay, Himamaylan, Cadiz, Silay, Victorias and Sagay.

In Antique, Category 1 hotspots are the towns of Anini-y, Barbaza, Libertad, Laua-an, Valderrama and Tibiao. Also, under Category 2 in the same province are towns of San Remigio and Sibalom.

Seven towns are classified as Category 1 in Aklan province - Banga, Batan, Buruanga, Ibajay, Kalibo, Malinao and New Washington.

In Capiz, the towns of Pilar and President Roxas are classified as Category 1 while three towns of Tapaz, Cuartero and Maayon are all Category 2.

Also, two towns in Guimaras are considered Category 1 - Nueva Valencia and San Lorenzo.

These election hot sports were also identified to be trouble-prone because of election-related incidents recorded in the past elections particularly in 2004 and 2007.*