COMELEC: Team Sulong-Gugma Held Rally Illegally

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

A local official of the Commission on Elections in Iloilo City said Wednesday, April 2, that Team Sulong-Gugma may have violated election law by holding a rally without the required permits.

Jonathan Sayno, election assistant II of the City Election Office, told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo that the group, led by incumbent lone district Rep. Julienne Baronda, failed to submit a rally notice and permit.

“This means they had no permit because they scheduled it right away,” Sayno said.

“They filed [the application] one day, with the rally set the next day. They went to the office, and we weren’t able to receive it because they did not have a notice of rally.”

Sayno said the lack of a proper permit rendered the rally illegal and subject to interruption by the barangay government.

“Their conduct of a rally was illegal,” he said.

“They may be asked to stop because it was not legal, it was not legit, [because] they did not have a permit.”

He also said the situation may be a violation of Republic Act 9006, or the Fair Election Act, but this would have to be determined through legal proceedings.

“It may be a violation of the Fair Election Act,” he said.

“If someone wants to file a case, we have to determine [the violation] because the law does not provide for any penalty.”

Sayno reminded all candidates and political parties running in the 2025 elections to follow local government procedures when using barangay spaces for campaign activities.

He said candidates must first coordinate with the punong barangay, who must issue a certificate of no objection.

This document is then attached to the permit application submitted to the local government unit.

“If a candidate or political party plans to conduct a rally or partisan political activity, they have to go to the punong barangay of the area where they intend to hold the event,” he explained.

“They must ensure the rally date does not conflict with other scheduled activities and secure confirmation from the barangay.”

“The certificate of no objection is a requirement for the city government to issue a rally permit,” he said.

“But we are reiterating that there has to be a lead time—at least three days before the proposed rally—for them to file the application.”

Section 34 of COMELEC Resolution No. 11086, approved and promulgated on December 9, 2024, under Republic Act 9006, requires that all applications to hold public meetings, rallies and similar political activities be filed with the authorized city or municipal official, who must acknowledge receipt in writing.

The official must also submit a list of applications to the election officer.

Section 35 of the same resolution mandates that the relevant local official act on the application within three days.