TABUK CITY, Kalinga – On January 24, 2022, during the City Inter-agency Taskforce on the management of emerging infectious diseases (CIATF) convened an emergency meeting to introduce Atty. John Paul Martin as Tabuk’s new election officer.
Atty. Reyman Solbita of the Tabuk office of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was assigned in Baguio City and replaced by Martin who assumed as the new COMELEC chairperson of the city effective last week until June 2022. Due to time constraints, Martin requested an exception to the alert level 4 rule to allow a DESO Technical Support Staff examination for the upcoming May 2022 election which will be held at TCNHS on January 25, 2022.
According to Martin, 115 applicants, divided into batches, will take the examinations, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Under the election guidelines for 2022, the campaign period for national seats will begin on February 8. While waiting for the start of the campaign, Martin will be meeting with Tabuk City campaign groups to discuss the guidelines.
City/ municipal campaign committees will be created consisting of members of the local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), with the election officer as head, the City Health Officer as vice-chair, and the chief of police and the DILG as members.
According to Martin, the alert level system in each city or municipality will determine the category level or limitation. There will be no in-person campaign if the city is on alert levels 4 or 5. There will be no system downgrade or upgrade, so it will be clear what should be done, He further stated.
The council was given a guideline in relation to Comelec Resolution No. 10732 or guidelines for the conduct of: in-person campaign, rallies, caucuses, meetings, and conventions, motorcades and caravans, and miting de avance under the new normal in connection with the 09 may 2022 national and local election.
Finally, Martin encouraged everyone to follow and cooperate with the health protocol, to prevent the further escalation of the alert level and avoid the possible worse scenario of No Election.
By Freeche Lacson
