The Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered Department of Agriculture (DA) to defer the rollout of the 20/kilo Rice Project as election laws prohibits distribution of any form of assistance ahead of election day.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the DA should halt the government’s reselling of P20 per kilo of rice until the end of the May 12 polls in a bid to prevent the program from being politicized or being used for campaigning.

“Ang sabi nga natin, pagkatapos ng araw na ito, medyo tigil muna bukas. Pupwede naman maituloy after ng May 12, kahit sa May 13 na lang uli sila magsimula ng murang bigas,” Garcia said in a radio interview.

Earlier, the DA started the rollout the pilot test of the P20-per-kilo rice initiative in Cebu. The giving of any form of assistance is ban by law starting May 2 up to May 12, Election Day.

The Comelec earlier exempted the DA P20 per kilo Rice Project from the 45-day election spending ban ahead of the May 12 polls. In granting their request, the Comelec included additional guidelines for the exclusion, including the securing by local government units (LGUs) of separate certificates of exemption if they resell rice products at a lower price.

Other directives include that the distribution and sale of subsidized rice be conducted in public places and that media, civil society, and interest groups be allowed unrestricted access in the venue of the implementation

Under the Omnibus Election Code, violations of the prohibitions constitute election offenses, punishable by imprisonment of not less than one year, but not more than six years, among other penalties provided for by law.