Distribute help without politicians – Comelec

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the distribution of social services should be handled by employees of concerned agencies without the presence of politicians.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Tuesday the commission would not hinder the distribution of these essential services amid the election ban.

«In social services, the aid for Filipinos in need, the Comelec will not be an obstacle to the education of the poor or scholarships, relief from hunger, burial services, we will not stop that as long as the exemption is clear — how to do it, who will be the beneficiary, how much will be used, and the politician must not be present at the distribution,» he said in an interview.

«After all, there is no need for a politician [to be] in the distribution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. When it comes to distribution, only the workers of the department should be there, and no politicians. Those aids are parts of their rights. That should not be abused or used, especially during the election.»

Garcia also sought the understanding of the public, especially in allowing public works to proceed during the election ban.

«I hope everyone understands. In the law, there is a ban on public works and social services. This is a 1985 law. Until that changes, the Comelec will implement that. The situation of Filipinos is different in 1985 and now in 2025. A lot has changed — technology, lifestyle, and country events,» he said, referring to the nearly four-decade-old Batas Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines.

«I hope everyone understands it is very difficult to stop public works. If the road is muddy when it rains or dusty when it's sunny, why should we stop the project? So, the exemptions are allowed, which, in our opinion, is not politics but a project that is included in the budget and has been planned for a long time.»

Advertisement Campaign ads of candidates seeking office in the May 2025 elections sprout in major thoroughfares in Quezon City on January 7, 2025. PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE Campaign ads of candidates seeking office in the May 2025 elections sprout in major thoroughfares in Quezon City on January 7, 2025.