Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday, October 2, that he has sought clearance from the Commission on Elections on the participation of the barangays in the MassKara Festival to ensure that laws in relation to the upcoming Barangay and SK elections on October 30 are not violated.
Benitez said he met with Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia and he personally informed him that Bacolod had been granted clearance already.
The mayor wrote to Bacolod Election Officer Kathrina Trinio Caña on September 25 to inform her that Bacolod City is celebrating its annual MassKara Festival this October.
For this year’s celebration, Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc., the official event organizer of the festival, has lined activities where all barangays in the city play a vital role, he informed her.
He cited the barangays participation, especially in the MassKara Electrika Diva, Electric Float Parade and Competition and MassKara Streetdance and Arena Competition, which are funded by the city and not by the barangay themselves.
“In this regard, the undersigned would like to seek guidance and advice from the Commission on Elections on whether such participation of the
barangays in the said activities would violate any law, resolution, guidelines and other issuances of the COMELEC in relation to the upcoming Barangay and SK elections on October 30,” he said.
The Barangay SK elections campaign period is from October 19 to 28.*