ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced a nationwide synchronized “Operation Baklas” against illegal campaign materials on March 28, coinciding with the start of the campaign period for local candidates in the May 12 elections.
According to Jonathan Sayno, Election Assistant II of Comelec-Iloilo City, the operation aims to remove all illegal campaign materials — both for local and national candidates — that violate election guidelines. These include:
* materials posted outside the designated common poster areas
* materials placed in prohibited public spaces
* oversized campaign paraphernalia
* posters not made of cloth, paper, cardboard, or other recyclable materials
Comelec-Iloilo City will be joined in the campaign material clean-up by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Task Force Asis, the City Prosecutor’s Office, and the City Engineering Office, among others.
Sayno said the March 28 operation is necessary because campaign posters are expected to proliferate in prohibited areas even before the official start of the local campaign period.
“Based on our experience, as early as the night of March 27, some groups already start putting up materials in unauthorized areas. We want to minimize this as soon as the campaign period officially opens,” Sayno told Panay News.
Even before the national campaign period began on February 11, Comelec had already met with candidates and their supporters to clarify that the designated common poster areas are limited only to specific portions of public plazas — not their entire stretch.
Posting campaign materials on private property is allowed, provided there is consent from the property owner. However, campaign posters must comply with rules such as the maximum size of two feet by three feet and the inclusion of the name of the payor.
Comelec has given all candidates, supporters, and political parties a 72-hour window before March 28 to voluntarily remove campaign materials posted in unauthorized areas.
“They have until March 28 to take these down from prohibited locations,” Sayno added.
Regarding political rallies, Sayno reminded candidates and parties to first secure a permit from the local government unit where the rally will take place. They must also notify Comelec at least three days before the event and submit a copy of the rally permit.
Once cleared, Comelec will inform the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the area to ensure peace and order during the rally.
Campaign posters are allowed to be displayed at the rally site starting five days before the event, but these must be taken down by supporters, leaders, or coordinators within 24 hours after the rally. The maximum size for rally site posters is set at 3 feet by 8 feet./PN
