Liquor Ban For May 2013 Election, Philippines

In preparation for the May 13, 2013 Philippine election, the Commission on Election COMELEC had imposed a regulation that would prohibit alcohol throughout the country.

The liquor ban will be observe within five days, and that will be from May 9 - Thursday, up to May 13 - Monday. The five days total liquor ban had made official under COMELEC Resolution Number 9582 as a provision of the Omnibus Election Code.

Liquor ban means anyone, except for exemption that will be stated below, is prohibited in selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving and taking intoxicating liquor inside the Philippine territory within the said period.

What would be the penalty?

The resolution would made any violators answerable to the following penalties.

The COMELEC resolution states that it is "punishable with imprisonment of not less than one (1) year but not more than six (6) years and shall not be subject to probation, and in addition, the guilty party shall suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage,".

Who are exempted ?

According to the guidelines, tourists are not covered on the ruling. That means that foreigners - tourists as they are - are all allowed to buy and take alcoholic drinks within their hotels. These hotels however should and must secure written consent from the authority.

"Hotels and other establishments duly certified by the Department of Tourism as tourist-oriented and habitually in the business of catering to foreign tourists may be exempted from the liquor ban, PROVIDED, they secure prior written authority upon showing that there are justifiable reasons."

Embedded below is the actual copy of the COMELEC resolution.