ILOILO City – Between Feb. 25 and March 16 the Commission on Elections (Comelec) removed 1,560 illegal election campaign materials in this city and Iloilo province.
According to Provincial Election Supervisor Roberto Salazar, the two most common violations of the candidates were the following:
* going beyond the maximum prescribed size of posters (2×3 feet or 3×2 feet)
* displaying the campaign materials outside of the designated common poster areas
Salazar said other candidates exceeded the maximum number of posters (only two at the most) in designated common poster areas.
“Indi puede saklamon ang poster area sang iban nga mga kandidato. Indi na ‘ya padamo-damo lang,” said Salazar.
Some campaign posters were also removed because these did not indicate who paid for their production, said Salazar.
“Dapat maba-lan naton kon sin-o ang nagadonar and nagabalayad sa ila campaign materials,” he stressed.
Most of the removed 1,560 illegal election campaign materials belonged to senatorial candidates and party-lists, said Salazar.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 10488, only the following are considered lawful election propaganda:
(a) pamphlets, leaflets, cards, decals, stickers or other written or printed materials the sizes of which do not exceed eight and one-half inches in width and 14 inches in length
(b) handwritten or printed letters urging voters to vote for or against any particular political party or candidate for public office
(c) posters made of cloth, paper, cardboard or any other materials, whether framed or posted, with an area not exceeding two feet by three feet
(d) streamers not exceeding three feet by eight feet in size displayed at the site and on the occasion of a public meeting or rally; said streamers may be displayed five days before the date of the meeting or rally and shall be removed within 24 hours after said meeting or rally
(e) social media posts, whether original or re-posted from some sources, which may either be incidental to the poster’s advocacies of social issues or which may have, for its primary purpose, the endorsement of candidate only
(f) mobile units, vehicles, motorcades of all types, whether engine or manpower driven or animal drawn, with or without sound systems or loud speakers and with or without lights
(g) paid advertisement in broadcast, internet, mobile, print or outdoor media subject to the requirement set for Section 9 hereof and the Fair Elections Act
(h) in the headquarters and residences, candidates, law election paraphernalia may be displayed but banners or streamers referred to in paragraph (d) above shall not be allow
(i) all other form of election propaganda not prohibited by the Omnibus Election Code or these rules./PN
