ILOILO City – Close to 1,000 election campaign posters were removed during three waves of “Operation Baklas” conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) here.
The posters violated rules governing the placement of campaign materials for the May 12, 2025 national and local elections.
The operation, led by Office of the Election Officer (OEO) Atty. Pinky Jevini G. Tentativa, was carried out on February 11, 14, and 26 across various streets and plazas in Molo, Mandurriao, La Paz, and the City Proper districts. A total of 951 posters were confiscated during the operations.
According to Jonathan Sayno, Election Assistant II of Comelec-Iloilo City, most of the violations involved improper posting locations, oversized posters (which should be no larger than two feet by three feet), multiple postings in common areas, and failure to indicate the payor’s name and address on the poster. Other violations included failure to declare political advertisements as paid.
The Comelec also removed campaign materials from a group falsely claiming to be a party-list, specifically “Bayad Muna”.
The majority of confiscated posters were for national candidates, particularly those running for senator and party-list positions. These campaigned for senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao (362 posters), former Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Benhur Abalos (134 posters), Las Piñas City congresswoman Camille Villar (126 posters), Sen. Lito Lapid (110 posters), Sen. Imee Marcos (79 posters), and Sen. Bong Revilla (49 posters).
Other seized posters were those of Abby Binay, Sen. Bong Go, Ariel Querubin, Sen. Francis Tolentino, and Joey Montemayor, along with party-lists ACT-CIS, Trabaho, and Uswag Ilonggo.
Sayno reiterated the importance of adhering to Comelec’s guidelines for the placement of campaign materials, particularly the proper size and designated poster areas. He urged all candidates, coordinators, and supporters to follow the rules to avoid future confiscations.
The “Operation Baklas” is being conducted in line with Comelec Resolution 11086, which implements Republic Act No. 9006, or the Fair Elections Act, in preparation for the upcoming 2025 elections. The initiative aims to ensure that campaign materials follow prescribed guidelines and that election laws are strictly enforced.
Sayno further clarified that all confiscated materials are being inventoried and reported to the Comelec’s Law Department for proper disposition. The materials are currently stored in a warehouse, awaiting further instructions on how to dispose of them.
Sayno emphasized the need for all political parties and candidates to use only designated common poster areas identified by Comelec for their campaign posters. Violation of these regulations may result in penalties under Section 264 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), including imprisonment from one to six years, disqualification from holding public office, and the loss of voting rights./PN