MANILA -- The Commission on Elections on Tuesday held a briefing on the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) with various government agencies at Camp Crame.

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Agencies present in the briefing include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), among others.

Election watchdogs such as NAMFREL and PPCRV are also in attendance.

Comelec Commissioner Rey Bulay, the commissioner in charge of BSKE, said it is important for government agencies to collaborate, share expertise and synchronize their efforts to ensure that the public will be able to exercise their right to vote.

As stated by Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda, Jr., the country is now in the home stretch since election period will begin next Monday, August 28, which is also the first day of filing of certificate of candidacy (COC).

COC filing will last until September 2.

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Once a person files his COC, he is already considered as a candidate and thus, should not engage in premature campaigning. He is only allowed to campaign from October 19 to 28.

The gun ban, meanwhile, takes effect from August 28 to November 29.

Election day is on October 30 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., except for the cities of Muntinlupa and Naga, where early voting for senior citizens, pregnant, persons with disability, and indigenous people will be done from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

For the first time, mall voting will also be done in ten malls all over the country.

BSKE is manual in nature, meaning voters will write the names of their chosen candidates, except for two barangays in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and one in Quezon City, which will be automated.

This means voters will shade the names of their candidate and feed their ballot in the vote counting machine.

The poll body also enumerated prohibited acts during the election period such as the employment of security personnel and bodyguards, raising of funds for an election campaign, appointment of new employees in any national or local government office, and promotion or salary increases.