Liquor ban violators to face six-year jail term

By Robertzon F Ramirez/Manila  TimesThink before you drink. The liquor ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start  on October 27, said the poll body’s spokesperson James Jimenez. Anyone caught defying the ban faces up to six years imprisonment.Jimenez said the liquor ban will be imposed on October 27 and 28 in connection with the barangay (village council) elections on October 28.“Starting October 27 until midnight of October 28, an election liquor ban will be implemented nationwide except in the Province of Bohol and in Zamboanga City,” Jimenez said.Considering that the barangay elections will be done manually, voting will start at 8am in the morning and will end at 3pm in the afternoon.Under a Comelec resolution, violations of the liquor ban constitutes an election offence and will be punishable by imprisonment of not less than one year and more than six years, among other penalties provided by the law.“The ban covers the selling, offering, buying, serving and taking of intoxicating liquor,” Jimenez added.However, Jimenez clarified that the province of Bohol and the city of Zamboanga will be exempted from the liquor ban as the barangay elections were postponed to November 25.The liquor ban for Bohol and Zamboanga will be on November 24 and 25.Meanwhile, Comelec came out with a new calendar of activities for the special elections in Bohol and Zamboanga.The barangay election period for Zamboanga and Bohol will start on October 26 until December 10 or 30 days before the date of elections and 15 days thereafter. Under a Comelec resolution, aspiring barangay officials in Zamboanga may start filing their Certificate of Candidacy (COC) on November 7-13. There will be no filing of COC on November 10. For the province of Bohol, the Comelec has added two more days for the filling of COC, noting that there were already special dates for the COC on October 11, 12, and 14 or three days before the earthquake struck on October 15.Under another Comelec resolution, aspiring barangay officials in Bohol will be allowed to file their COCs on October 28-29 “to compensate for the days where the operation of the local Comelec offices was disrupted by the earthquake”.The campaign period for Bohol barangay candidates will be from November 15-23.Thus, candidates who have filed their COC will be prohibited from campaigning as this constitutes an election offence.The last day to file sworn statements of election contributions and expenditures in Bohol and Zamboanga will be on December 26.