ILOILO City – The election period has started but the official campaign period for the May 9, 2022 elections has yet to commence. Thus, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), it could not yet impose the rules on campaign posters, streamers and tarpaulins.
The campaign period for national candidates (president, vice president, senator, and party-list) starts on Feb. 8 while that for local candidates is on March 25.
The posts being contested in the local elections are for governor, vice governor, provincial board member, city and municipal mayor, vice mayor and sangguniang bayan or panlungsod member.
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.
He also reminded barangay officials to stay apolitical or neutral.
Section 2(4), Article IX-B of the 1987 Constitution provides that “no officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”
On the other hand, Section 261 (i) of the Omnibus Election Code (Intervention of Public Officers and Employees), states: “Any office or employee in the civil service, except those holding political offices; any officer, employee, or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or any police force, special forces, home defense forces, barangay self-defense units and all other para-military units that now exist or which may hereafter be organized who, directly or indirectly, intervenes in any election campaign or engages in any partisan political activity, except to vote or to preserve public order, if one is a peace officer, shall be guilty of an election offense.”
Balisado observed that during elections, barangay officials become foot soldiers of candidates.
He issued a challenge to barangay officials: “Upon the start ng campaign period for local candidates, ang mga (illegal) posters ng kung sin-o mang kandidato, kahit magsabi pa sa poster na magpabakuna tayo, etcetera, kakasin na.”
He added: “‘Yang mga tarpaulins na ‘yan hindi naman ‘yan biodegradable. So, para sa akin too much. Too many. Parang nakaka-turn-off din.”
A week before the start of the campaign period, Balisado said, common poster areas in every city, town and barangay would be identified. These are usually open public spaces such as plazas, but these could also be private lots (with the consent of the owners).
Balisado said Comelec will also be releasing soon the guidelines on the sizes (measurements) of campaign posters, streamers and tarpaulins.
He also said candidates are required to state in their campaign materials the financiers or donors of these materials and their addresses./PN
