Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez on Tuesday asked Filipinos to help him “report” a social media post claiming that he supports a campaign persuading a politician to run ahead of the 2022 national elections.
In a tweet, Jimenez shared the false post of Facebook page called “Showbiz Fanaticz” which claimed that he supports the “Run Sara Run” campaign.
“Oi, Showbiz Fanaticz. This is a lie. Everybody, please help me report this post for being false and (apparently) intentionally misleading,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
Jimenez likewise told social media users to report a video posted by the Facebook page claiming the same thing.
While the official has not said anything about supporting the aforementioned campaign, he earlier said that tarpaulins and other paraphernalia relating to it do not violate the country’s election laws.
“Technically, there is no violation because in order for premature campaigning to be committed, there should be an official candidate,” Jimenez told ABS-CBN News Channel last week.
“And no official candidate exists right now. In fact, we are not even filing the certificate of candidacy yet. So, since there is no official candidate, there can be no crime or should we say, offense of premature campaigning,” he added.
In a separate series of tweets, Jimenez also said there is no premature campaigning happening yet.
There is no premature campaigning if 1) walang "official candidate" – defined as a person who has a) filed a COC, and who b) at the start of the campaign period has not withdrawn their candidacy – at 2) hindi pa nagsisimula ang campaign period – which for nat'l cand's is Feb 8.
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) March 2, 2021
This Court has no power to ignore the clear and express mandate of the law that "any person who files his certificate of candidacy within [the filing] period shall only be considered a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his certificate of candidacy."
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) March 2, 2021
Tarpaulins urging Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run in the upcoming elections have been rampant in the streets.
Meanwhile, the similar Facebook page was also called out by Vice President Leni Robredo who urged social media users to report a post claiming she is ashamed of her townmates after “cheating” in the 2016 national elections.
“Please help us report. After losing 3x, the final one at the Supreme Court no less, BBM narrative that he was cheated is still being pushed,” she wrote on Tuesday.
The false post reads: “VP Leni, ikinahihiya ang mga kababayan sa Bicol, matapos ang pandaraya kay BBM!”
The Supreme Court this month unanimously junked the poll protest of former senator Bongbong Marcos who contested Robredo’s win in the elections that happened almost five years ago.
