ILOILO City – Mayor Jose Espinosa III may order the removal of pre-election campaign materials flooding the city as these, he said, make the city dirty and ugly.
“Ang bilog nga syudad naglaw-ay na because of pamulitika,” he said during the launching of the city government’s cleanliness campaign program “Ilonggo Kontra Bandalismo” on Saturday.
Rules regulating posters and prohibiting vandalism must be enforced, he stressed.
“Parehos bala sang gabutang posters left and right. Pati arko sa mga barangay may ara na, pauna-una butang,” Espinosa lamented. He, however, did not single out anybody.
Posters, especially political ones, are only allowed in privately-owned places, not in public spaces, he stressed.
“Ang aton barangay halls are public buildings. So tan-awon ta. Kay gapadayaw sila, ang tag-iya sina is government. Sa government buildings, may prohibition ina. Okay lang kun private. Pati markets subong may ara na,” said Espinosa.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Iloilo City previously said it could not stop those running in the May 13, 2019 midterm elections from campaigning this early.
“We are not yet in the campaign period. Comelec cannot impose elections rules and regulations at this stage,” said city election officer Atty. Rainer Layson.
In Comelec Resolution 10429 for the 2019 midterm elections, the poll body set the election period from Jan. 13, 2019 to June 12, 2019.
“Ang city Comelec wala mahimo,” Layson said. “We can only enforce the Fair Elections Act during the election period.”
The campaign period for candidates for senator and party-list groups is from Feb. 12, 2019 to May 11, 2019, with campaigning prohibited on March 28, 2019 (Holy Thursday) and March 29, 2019 (Good Friday).
Meanwhile, the campaign period for candidates for members of the House of Representatives and elective provincial, city and municipal officials will run from March 30, 2019 to May 11, 2019.
Campaigning is prohibited from May 12-13, 2019, which is also the period for the liquor ban.
Under Republic Act No. 9369 (Poll Automation Law), “any person who files his certificate of candidacy within (the period for filing) shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his certificate of candidacy.”
It also states that “unlawful acts or omissions applicable to a candidate shall take effect only upon the start of the aforesaid campaign period.”
So what can be done to arrest the proliferation of election campaign materials at this time?
Layson said the Comelec may ask the city government to strictly enforce its anti-littering ordinance.
“Amo lang na ang makita naton nga paagi nga malimpyo naton ang syudad sang Iloilo sang mga unsightly nga mga political advertisements or political campaign materials at this time,” he said./PN
