ILOILO City – Around 200 illegal campaign posters have been removed on the fifth day of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) “Operation Baklas” in the city. Most of the campaign materials – especially those at Plaza Libertad – were “out of place,” according to Assistant City Election Officer Jonathan Sayno.
“Damo kita nakita nga mga violations. Out of place ang ila campaign posters…So kakason gid naton,” Sayno told media members at city hall yesterday.
Most of these posters were that of senatorial and party-list candidates whose official campaign period started Feb. 12, 90 days before the May 13 election day.
There are 62 senatorial candidates and 134 party-list groups vying for national positions.
On March 29, the campaign period for local candidates – from governors down to municipal councilors and district representatives – will begin.
Sayno said their task force has only called out local candidates who have premature campaign materials posted across the city.
They were given 72 hours to take down the posters, the Comelec official added.
The common poster areas in the city are Plaza Libertad facing JM Basa Street in City Proper; Plaza Villa Rizal Street facing police station in Arevalo; Plaza Jaro along Rizal Street facing Andok’s Chicken in Jaro; Plaza La Paz facing Huervana Street and police station in La Paz; Rizal Street, Barangay Lapuz Norte in front of the roll on, roll off terminal in Lapuz; Plaza Mandurriao facing the police station in Mandurriao; and Plaza Molo along Locsin Street facing the Consing Mansion in Molo.
“Dapat maga-erect sila (candidates) sang structure nga dira nila ipakabit ang ila campaign posters. And then nag-desginate kita sa kada partido sang ila area pero may naga-overlap,” said Sayno.
He added that political candidates and their parties should also be responsible of taking down their campaign materials after the elections.
The candidates should also follow prescribed sizes of campaign materials – maximum size for tarpaulins and posters is two feet by three feet or three feet by two feet, depending whether these are horizontal or vertical.
Erring candidates may face imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and disqualification to hold public office.
Sayno said the confiscated campaign posters will be documented and forwarded to the Comelec provincial, regional and central offices.
The city government’s Task Force Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structure and the Iloilo City Police Office’s mobile group helped Comelec in taking down the illegal posters./PN
