Holding raffles by political bets is not yet a poll offense – Comelec

Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia. (INQUIRER / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA)

MANILA, Philippines — Political aspirants holding raffles will not be liable for an election offense yet, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia made the comment on Tuesday when asked to react to the online raffle being conducted by senatorial aspirant Chavit Singson.

“Wala pa po election offense sa ngayon,” Garcia told INQUIRER.net. “Wala pong premature campaigning.”

(There are no election offenses for now. There is no premature campaigning yet.)

Under the law, political aspirants who filed their Certificates of Candidacy will only become candidates at the start of the campaign period.

The campaign period will begin on February 11, 2025 for senatorial and party-list candidates.

This period starts on March 28 for congressional, provincial, city and municipal hopefuls, including persons running for the Bangsamoro Parliament.

Singson, on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, is giving away P5,800 to 58 raffle winners as well as a jackpot prize of P58,000.

The raffle, which was launched on December 15, will run for 58 days  or until February next year.

The winners are announced every 7:58 p.m.

The former Ilocos Sur governor, who branded himself as a “future senator,” is the 58th aspirant in the initial list of senatorial aspirants in the upcoming midterm elections.