Comelec says: Bets endorsing products may just cover faces

The Commission on Elections yesterday said that billboards and posters of celebrities and other endorsers who are also running in the elections need not be removed.

Comelec provincial supervisor Edwin Cadungog said that the ban is only temporary for the election period. Cadungog said the management of the companies whose products are endorsed by celebrities who are candidates for coming elections may just cover the face of the celebrity.

Cadungog explained that it will be expensive for businessmen to remove the posters, billboards and other advertising materials especially those delivery trucks with the image of actor Cesar Montano endorsing bottled water.

Montano is one of the senatorial bets of the administration's team unity for the coming elections.

Cadungog said it will be enough to cover the face of the celebrity endorser. Cadungog also encouraged businessmen to file a case in court to set jurisprudence as the Fair Election Act will also encourage breach of contract between celebrity endorsers who are seeking elective positions and the company with which they signed a contract.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections Task Force has started tearing down campaign posters of senatorial candidates placed outside designated posters area.

Cebu City north election registrar Marchel Sarno and Department of Interior and Local Government city officer Patricio Gabuya led the operation yesterday afternoon in at least four areas in the north district.

The task force went to streets of barangays Carreta, San Roque and Sto. Niño as well as Mango Avenue to remove the illegally posted campaign materials. Topping the illegally posted campaign materials removed by the members of the task force were those of reelectionist Manuel Villar.

The other posters found placed outside of the designated posters area included those of Mike Defensor, Miguel Zubiri, Edgardo Angara, Loren Legarda and Ralph Recto.

Sarno said that the removed posters will be destroyed but no charges will be filed against the candidates who owned the posters because no one was caught posting them.

He warned that anybody caught posting campaign materials outside areas designated by the Comelec will be charged for violation of the Fair Election Act. - Fred P. Languido