The Commission on Election (Comelec) in Negros Oriental issued show cause orders against three aspirants in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) for alleged premature campaigning.

Lawyer Eliseo Labaria, acting Comelec provincial election supervisor, told the Philippine News Agency yesterday that the respondents were given three days upon receipt of the order to answer the complaint.

This brings to five the total number of BSKE aspirants who have been issued show cause orders because of premature campaigning — two from Bais City and one each from Valencia, Bayawan City, and Dumaguete City.

The latest show cause order was forwarded yesterday to a candidate-aspirant in Bayawan, about 100 kilometers south of capital Dumaguete.

Of the five, only the Dumaguete respondent is a barangay candidate, while the rest are SK aspirants.

Labaria did not elaborate on the details of the complaints filed against the three aspirants but noted that premature campaigning is the number one reason for the issuance of a show cause order.

The campaign period starts on October 19.

The Comelec earlier said premature campaigning constitutes an election offense that carries a penalty of one to six years imprisonment and/or disqualification.

Meanwhile, Labaria said more than 2,000 teachers from the Department of Education would be deployed to the 557 barangays in Negros Oriental for the October 30 BSKE.

They have completed the training conducted by the Comelec on the processes of manual voting and other tasks and functions, he said. (PNA)