ILOILO City – Around 100 illegal campaign materials in this city were taken down by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) yesterday afternoon.
Jonathan Sayno, Election Assistant II of the Iloilo City Comelec, led the “Operation Baklas” in barangays Boulevard, Calumpang and San Juan in Molo district, and Calaparan and Santo Niño Norte in Arevalo district. These barangays, Sayno said, are thickly populated and have the most number of registered voters.
“Malapit na mga 100 (campaign posters), although nga gina-follow ang size pero out of place ang ginabutangan,” Sayno said in an interview with Panay News after the operation.
He further explained that most of those taken down were campaign materials placed in government structures not designated as common poster areas, electrical posts and trees, and those that violate the two inches by three inches size limits.
The confiscated campaign posters were brought to the city Comelec office for safekeeping.
“I-itemize naton and for safekeeping para ingkaso nga mag-decide ang Comelec may ara kita sang evidence,” Sayno said.
It will, however, depend on the Task Force on Anti-Epal to recommend penalty to the owners of the confiscated campaign posters.
Sayno again reminded the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election candidates to abide by the Comelec rules.
“I-follow lang naton ang rules, indi kita maglisa. Kon ano ang dapat pagasundon, kon ano ang gina-regulate sang Comelec, sundon naton para indi ma-alang-alang ang aton candidacy kay basi makita sang Comelec kag ma-determine nga may factual basis, puede kita maka-file sang disqualification case,” said Sayno.
Section 3 (Lawful Election Propaganda) of the Republic Act No. 9006 or “Fair Election Act” states that election propaganda whether on television, cable television, radio, newspapers or any other medium is hereby allowed for all registered political parties, national, regional, sectoral parties or organizations participating under the party-list elections and for all bona fide candidates seeking national and local elective positions subject to the limitation on authorized expenses of candidates and political parties, observance of truth in advertising and to the supervision and regulation by the Comelec.
For the purpose of this act, lawful election propaganda shall include:
* Pamphlets, leaflets, cards, decals, stickers or other written or printed materials the size of which does not exceed eight and one-half inches in width and 14 inches in length;
* Handwritten or printed letters urging voters to vote for or against any particular political party or candidate for public office
* Cloth, paper or cardboard posters whether framed, or posted, with an area not exceeding two feet by three feet, except that, at the site and on the occasion of a public meeting or rally, or in announcing the holding of said meeting or rally, streamers not exceeding three feet by eight feet in size, shall be allowed: Provided, that 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
* Paid advertisements in print or broadcast media: Provided, that the advertisements shall follow the requirements set forth in Section 4 of this Act.
* All other forms of election propaganda not prohibited by the Omnibus Election Code or this Act.
On Sept. 4, Comelec Executive Director Teopisto Elnas Jr. issued a memorandum addressed to all regional election directors and provincial election supervisors to summarize the rules and regulations.
Prohibited election propaganda in common poster areas are:
• Billboards, posters, tarpaulins exceeding two feet by three feet
• Campaign materials that violate gender sensitivity, obscene, discriminatory, offensive, and those that violate the Magna Carta for Women
• Posters that do not bear the words “Political advertisements paid for/by _, or the words “Printed free of charge”
• Posters that are “not stand-alone,” having the maximum size or lesser of two feet by three feet, and put together, or side by side to form a collage-like poster exceeding two feet by three feet
• Single letters of names having the maximum size or lesser of two feet by three feet, and then putting them together to form a size exceeding two feet by three feet
• Posters/tarpaulins bearing the photo/picture of the whole slate exceeding two feet by three feet.
Posting of campaign materials
The posting of campaign materials in public places outside of the designated control poster areas, on private property without the owner’s consent, or in violation of Section 242 of Resolution No. 10924 and similar locations listed in Section 240 (f) thereof is prohibited.
“For this purpose, the election officer of the city or municipality where the illegal campaign materials are posted or displayed shall notify the affected candidates about the fact of such posting. Otherwise, if no action is taken within three days from the issuance of the notice, there arises a presumption that the said candidates caused the posting of such campaign materials,” it added.
The following public places will not be the subject of Operation Baklas, pursuant to the same section in Resolution 10924 are: plazas, markets, barangay centers, and other similar places where posters may be readily seen or read and with the heaviest pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic in the city of municipality./PN
