MANILA, Philippines – For the May 13 elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) doesn't want television, radio, and the Internet bombarded with campaign ads. It has revised old rules to impose huge cuts on candidates' advertising minutes.

MANILA, Philippines – Commission on Elections (Comelec) personnel in Intramuros, Manila, turned away several gun owners who where applying for personal exemptions on Monday, June 14, the first weekday after the poll body implemented the election gun ban.

MANILA, Philippines – From a slashed budget that it raised a howl over just last year, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has come a long way – it will receive an additional P4.14 billion from the national government for the first ever expanded synchronized elections this year.

MANILA, Philippines - Unlike the guards in malls, police officers or soldiers in checkpoints do not frisk persons for weapons. With a courteous demeanor, they can only block a car, look into the interior of the vehicle, and see if there are weapons in plain view that can be seized -- all in about 10 seconds.

MANILA, Philippines – By midnight on Sunday, January 13, the election period starts with the implementation of a weapons ban and the activation of at least 1,634 election checkpoints across the country. The gun ban for the 2013 midterm polls, however, takes effect in a more politically charged environment than in past election cycles, given recent incidents of crime and the intensity of political rivalries that the President’s party faces.