3-day ‘money ban’ takes effect Saturday

Police inspect vehicles at a Commission on Elections checkpoint along Tapuac Road in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, on Jan. 12, at the start of the election gun ban. Now additional precautions are being given to the public with the implementation of the three-day money ban, wherein carrying more than P50,000 in cash with campaign materials is prohibited from May 10 to May 13. — INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / WILLY LOMIBAO

ILOILO CITY – Heightened checkpoints in various areas in Western Visayas are expected effective Saturday with the implementation of the three-day “money ban.”

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“For the first time, the commission will implement the so-called money ban. It is already prohibited to be in possession of money more than P500,000 together with campaign materials. That would already be considered for purposes of vote buying,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Regional Election Director Lawyer Dennis Ausan said in an interview Friday afternoon.

Exempted from the ban are those whose nature of job pertains to the possession of huge amounts of money, such as a cashier or treasurer. However, they have to show proof of their job.

“Expect that in the next days, there will be more checkpoints, and that’s one way of implementing this money ban,” he said.

Ausan said personnel of the Philippine National Police have their manual and protocols to comply with the conduct of checkpoints.

He said in the past, there were even those caught in checkpoints with boxes of envelopes containing money and ready for distribution, but because there was no money ban during that time, they were released.

“We remind our candidates, political parties, including their leaders and supporters, that vote buying is an election offense and not just days before Election Day. But in a money ban, a large amount would already be illegal. The fact alone that you have P500,000 coupled with other campaign materials, that’s already something and a case can already be initiated against you,” Ausan said.

He also reminded the public that the two-day liquor ban will start on Sunday.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 (Western Visayas) spokesperson Lt. Col. Arnel Solis said they have already informed personnel conducting checkpoints to be vigilant in checking vehicles, although they are limited to plain view.

“However, since our personnel are alert and vigilant, they would see any suspicious actions of passengers,” he said in an interview on Saturday.

Since the start of the election period on Jan. 12, Solis said they have conducted about 33,500 Comelec checkpoints across the region.

Some are done solely by the PNP, while others are jointly conducted with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.

“We are directed to have at least one Comelec checkpoint a day. But there are tendencies that we will increase the number of Comelec checkpoints. The efforts are well coordinated by our chiefs of police with election officers,” he said.