The DepEd says what is prohibited is turning graduation rites into political forums or platforms. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO DepEd mulling over Comelec proposal

The Department of Education (DepEd) is open to the proposal of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ban candidates in this year’s midterm elections from speaking at graduation rites to keep them from being politicized.

Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said they will seek an audience with the Comelec to discuss the matter.

Earlier, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez had called on schools, colleges and universities not to invite candidates to their graduation rites.

In a radio interview Malaluan said while the DepEd’s election guidelines do not disallow candidates to speak in graduation ceremonies, they would discuss Jimenez’s suggestion in their executive committee meeting.

He underscored that under their guidelines, what is prohibited is turning the graduation rite as a political forum or platform.

“We’ll have to discuss that because, obviously, it’s not a political activity (graduation rites). It is not meant directly to ask for the vote of a person. But if it will end up that way, that is not allowed,” Malaluan said.

“It is clear in their guidelines (Comelec) what constitutes electioneering. If a candidate simply expresses his thoughts on graduation per se, that cannot be called electioneering,”he added.

Malaluan pointed out that what can be considered as electioneering are activities like holding political caucuses, conferences, meetings, rallies, parades or other similar assemblies for the purpose of soliciting votes and undertaking a campaign for or against a candidate or party.

It also includes making speeches, announcements or commentaries or holding interviews for or against the election of any candidate or party for public office, directly or indirectly soliciting votes, pledges or support for or against any candidate or party is also an act of electioneering, he added.

“A graduation exercise can be held without those actions even if the guest is a candidate That includes the awareness of a candidate,” Malaluan said.

“But if it does not generate into a solicitation of votes, then you could not include it as an electioneering activity,” he added.

Should any electioneering occur during graduation rites, Malaluan said the school and its officials may face administrative sanctions.

“Our administrative provisions will follow, except that when there is an electioneering activity, there will be sanctions because it’s under the jurisdiction of Comelec,” he said.