Personnel from the city's Department of Public Services have already initiated the removal of election campaign posters that were posted even outside the designated Comelec poster areas.
In a cleanup, DPS personnel used water to easily remove election campaign materials displayed on electric and telephone posts, and on walls of public buildings. They also removed campaign paraphernalia that were either hung or bored onto trees.
But election propaganda materials posted on walls of residential houses and private buildings were not removed by the DPS because it is presumed that the owners of the property authorized the posting of said materials.
Aside from the DPS personnel, barangay officials are also called to lead their personnel in removing the election propaganda materials in their respective barangays.
Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno directed all governors, mayors and barangay officials, even tanods, to take the lead in cleaning their respective areas of jurisdiction of campaign posters and streamers.
"Now that the election is over, let's all join hands and start taking down all election campaign materials in our surroundings and keep our towns and cities clean again," Puno said in his directive.
The Commission on Elections has also deputized barangay officials and tanods of all cities and municipalities to remove the election propaganda materials.
Further, Puno encouraged the candidates - both winners and losers in the midterm polls - and their supporters to join in the cleanup drive. He said that their participation in the cleanup drive is one way of determining their sincerity, as local leaders, to be of service to the public. - Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV