ILOILO City – Trees are not common poster areas, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6, so spare them from election campaign materials.
Section 3 of Presidential Decree (PD) 953 prohibits the cutting, destroying, damaging or injuring of naturally grown and planted trees of any kind unless it is necessary for public safety, Regional Executive Director Livino Duran warned election candidates and their supporters.
PD 953 punishes violators with imprisonment of six months to two years, or with a fine of from P500 to P5,000 or both imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the court, said Duran.
Nailing, tacking or stapling of campaign materials damages the protective bark and punctures the inside of a tree, allowing the entry of harmful organisms and eventually causing stress, inhibiting growth or killing the tree.
“All candidates must be mindful of the environment,” according to Duran.
Those that already have campaign materials on trees must remove them, he stressed.
“We also encourage candidates to recycle campaign materials and eliminate the use of single-use plastics/wastes by going digital with their campaign,” said Duran.
In Iloilo City, Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on environment chairman Councilor Ely Estante said PD 953 covered not only election campaign materials but all types of posters.
“Maski advertisement, indi lang ‘ya sa kandidato,” said Estante
The official campaign period will actually only start on Feb. 8 for candidates for president, vice president, senator and party-list groups participating in the party-list system of representation.
It begins on March 25 for candidates for members of the House of Representatives, regional, provincial, city and municipal officials.
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) recently, while the election period has started (Jan. 9) the official campaign period for the May 9, 2022 elections has yet to commence, thus it could not yet impose the rules on campaign posters, streamers and tarpaulins.
But once the campaign period starts, Comelec will deem as illegal the posters, streamers and tarpaulins displayed outside of the designated campaign poster areas, and would remove them.
The only exemptions are posters, streamers and tarpaulins displayed in private properties and have the consent of the owners of these properties.
At the moment, said Comelec Region 6 director Atty. Wilfred Jay Balisado, they could do nothing against campaign posters, streamers and tarpaulins on trees, public buildings or infrastructure such as barangay halls and covered courts, among others.
“Ngayon nakikita natin sila all throughout. This is not only happening in Iloilo but siguro all throughout the Philippines. Kahit mga barangay halls natin nandoon ‘yung mga mukha ng candidates.
Although hindi naman natin matatawag na campaign materials per see kasi wala namang sinasabi na ‘iboto’, but then pag-start ng campaign period talagang tatanggalin natin ang mga ‘yan,” said Balisado./PN
