ILOILO City – Liga ng mga Barangay city federation president Irene Ong challenged Mayor Jose Espinosa III to be an example himself in the latter’s so-called campaign against the proliferation of pre-election campaign posters and streamers. “Leadership by example…s’ya dapat una mangkakas sang iya tarpaulins,” said Ong.
Espinosa had said he would leave it to the barangay captains to remove pre-poll campaign posters displayed in barangay properties such as barangay halls.
“They know these are illegal,” the local chief executive said.
If the barangay captains refuse to remove the posters, the city government would exercise its power over the villages, Espinosa stressed.
Ong, however, said there was nothing wrong with displaying streamers in barangay halls.
“Wala sang violation…maski sa Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules and regulations (or) sa city ordinance wala,” Ong insisted.
Ong acknowledged, though, that a city ordinance prohibited the display of streamers and billboards in public plazas without the approval of the city government.
“Ang sa plaza nga mga billboards, ara gid ‘ya sa ordinansa…ti waay ‘ya man gani napangkakas…leadership by example,” said Ong.
Espinosa complained about how “politicking” was turning the city “unsightly,” referring to campaign streamers and posters spreading in the metro.
According to the mayor, posters – especially political ones – were only allowed in privately owned places, not public spaces.
“I will give them (barangay captains) the chance to remove [the posters]…sila mismo [magpanguha] kay bal-an nila nga ilegal,” Espinosa said.
If push comes to shove, however, the city government itself would remove the streamers, said the mayor.
According to the Comelec, the local government has power over illegally installed streamers, Espinosa claimed.
“Kon makita ta nga may resistance kag sobra-sobra, that will be the time nga ma-action na ta,” stressed the mayor.
The city has Ordinance 2013-330 which regulates the display of “any informational materials, any forms of announcement, may it be written or merely a picture, or may also be in the form of a banner, flag, ensign, or emblem causing for the public’s attention [sic].”
“It shall be unlawful to install streamers, billboards, advertisements, notices, signboards, and any form of informational materials and the like along city streets, public places or at any place of business within the City of Iloilo without a permit issued by the License and Permits Division Office of the City Mayor’s Office,” Section 5 of the ordinance stated.
Under Section 6, such materials must legibly show “the corresponding permit number, date of issuance and the name of the applicant as issued” by the same division office.
Violators may be fined P1,000 for every illegally installed streamer, billboard or advertisement, or imprisoned for two months, at the court’s discretion.
The City Engineer’s Office, through Task Force ASIS (Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures), is authorized to remove such illegally displayed materials, stated the ordinance.
The local Department of the Interior and Local Government office stressed that barangay halls are “still subject to existing rules, regulations and ordinances of the city government” even though they are the primary responsibility of the barangay council./PN
