2 Senate bets, 6 party-list groups warned on illegal posters

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has sent notices to two senatorial candidates and six party-list groups over alleged unlawful campaign materials.

Esmeralda Ladra, head of the Comelec Law Department, said senatorial bets Risa Hontiveros and Edward Hagedorn were found to have violated the rules on campaign posters and streamers.

Hontiveros is gunning for a Senate seat under Team PNoy, while Hagedorn is an independent candidate.

On the other hand, six party-list groups – Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (Buhay); 1 Joint Alliance of Marginalized Group, Inc. (1JAMG); Piston Lang Transportation Coalition, Inc. (Piston); Kabataan, and LPG Marketers Association, Inc. (LPGMA) – were also found to have violated the rules on campaign materials.

“We started sending notices. We requested them and even ordered them to remove or cause the removal of these campaign materials,” Ladra said.

She said Hontiveros’ posters were found in Dumaguete City while Hagedorn’s were documented along Osmeña Highway in Manila.

Hontiveros said her team on the ground is in the process of locating the posters and verifying that they have been posted improperly.

“This is complicated by the fact that the specific location of the posters was not indicated in the Comelec notice. Rest assured that once they have been located, it will be removed without delay,” she told GMA News.

Hagedorn’s camp also said they “will comply by the order of the Comelec to remove the campaign material immediately.”

The candidates were given three days to take down their illegal campaign materials or face charges of election offense that may lead to their disqualification.

“If you don’t remove these campaign materials, we in the Comelec will motu propio – or if we get reports of non-compliance – file cases against them,” Ladra said.