Albay Rep. Joey Salceda has requested the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exempt all relief operations for residents displaced by Mayon Volcano鈥檚 unrest from the upcoming election spending ban.
Salceda, chair of the House ways and means panel, has asked the Comelec to exclude the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other agencies doing relief work in Albay from the ban.
鈥 This could extend beyond the barangay elections,鈥 he said in a statement on Saturday.
Comelec Resolution No. 10902 stated that the election spending ban will be from Oct. 19 to Oct. 28, or the campaign period for the barangay and youth polls.
鈥 We want to abide by the law. And we want to take care of our people. We want to do both. Comelec has the means and the power to help us do both. That鈥檚 why we are making this request,鈥 Salceda said. 鈥擩ulie M. Aurelio