CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections in Cebu City, together with deputized police personnel, has started tearing down campaign posters in non-designated common poster areas yesterday.
Led by Comelec assistant regional director Veronico Petalcorin, the two teams who initiated the activity started taking down the posters placed in non-designated areas from the Provincial Capitol up to the Basilica del Santo Niño from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.
The Comelec ordered that posters placed in prohibited areas such as trees, electric posts, wires and other places outside the common poster areas including public school buildings be torn or taken down.
Posters, banners or streamers which also exceeded the standard size allowed by the Comelec were also taken down. The confiscated election paraphernalia are now in Comelec’s custody.
Chief Insp. Randy Patiño, head secretariat of the Regional Joint Security Control Center, said that aside from six police officers from the Police Regional Office-7, the Comelec officers were also assisted by the regional headquarters’ 180 police recruits.
Patiño said that the team departed from the PRO-7 headquarters. 90 police recruits lined up both roadsides leading towards the Provincial Capitol while the remaining 90 headed towards the church and helped in the activity aside from providing security to the Comelec.
Personnel from Parian, Fuente, Waterfront and Carbon police stations also backed up the team.
Patiño said that yesterday was the activity’s kick-off and starting today up to the election day in May, the different police stations in the city will take over in tearing down illegal election paraphernalia in their respective areas of responsibility.
As reported yesterday, the Comelec has given the candidates who put up posters in non-designated areas, including candidates running for local posts, until yesterday to take their posters down.
Meanwhile, the Comelec office in Mandaue city with the help of the Mandaue City Police Office also started removing campaign posters found in non-designated areas of the city.
MCPO director Noel Gillamac yesterday ordered operations chief Insp. Rainerio Cortes to head the team that will provide security to the Comelec personnel tearing down the campaign posters.
About 30 policemen will take turns providing security for the Comelec personnel who have already started in barangay Tipolo up to barangay Subangdaku as of yesterday afternoon.
Cortes yesterday said based on yesterday’s activity, the posting of campaign posters in non-designated areas is not as rampant in Mandaue City as compared to Cebu City.
In Lapu-Lapu City Comelec officer Ferdinand Guijilde led the removal of illegally posted campaign materials.
Guijilde, who was escorted by policemen and members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team, started removing the illegal posters and materials along the M. L. Quezon Highway in barangay Pajo going to barangay Poblacion. — Niña G. Sumacot and Flor Z. Perolina and Garry B. Lao/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)