Defanging the Comelec

The 2009 Supreme Court (SC) ruling that practically obliterated “premature campaigning” from the statute books ought to be revisited. It has made the political playing field uneven between rich and poor candidates.

In a resolution dated November 25, 2009 on G.R. No. 181613, known as the Penera vs Comelec case, the SC ruled that a candidate is liable for an election offense only for acts done during the campaign period, not before.