The Letter of the Law

I accompanied my sister to register for the 2010 elections this morning and saw these Bistek-branded tents outside the Comelec Quezon City office. What a blatant case of premature campaigning!

The law is pretty straight forward: it shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not a voter or candidate, or for any party, or association of persons, to engage in an election campaign or partisan political activity except during the campaign period (Ominibus Election Code, Section 80). And yet we all know that would be candidates from president all the way to municipal councilors have already been campaigning since late 2007.

And the legal loop hole they use? Section 79 of the same law that defines a candidate to be any person aspiring for or seeking an elective public office, who has filed a certificate of candidacy.

Ah yes, they are all sticklers for the law. The letter of the law, that is. No more, no less.

And so what happens to the spirit of the law? That unfortunately, does not exist for them. Their mantra seems to be as long as it is not explicitly illegal, then it's legal. To hell with propriety and morality.

So sad to have such spirit less leaders.