Comelec vows to tear down oversized campaign posters

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be compelled to tear down and remove illegal campaign posters, including billboards with photos of President Duterte as illegally placed materials proliferate just a few weeks after the election period started. 

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that even those with the President’s face on it would be taken down, especially if these are oversized or posted in prohibited areas. 

“The President’s participation is not the issue, it is the size of the poster…I just would like to make it clear – the point is not that the President is there or whatever; the point is that it is the candidate who is there and it’s the candidate who is benefiting from this illegal posting,” he added. 

Since the Comelec started monitoring illegal campaign materials on Feb. 12, many have already been removed. Politicians, who he did not name, were given notices of violation of election rules. 

The Comelec partnered with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Philippine National Police (PNP) in taking oversized posters and illegally placed materials. 

Jimenez said the DPWH, MMDA and the PNP have the resources and deputies as far as the removal of the illegal posters is concerned. 
MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said they would deploy more than 100 personnel to help more than 200 personnel from the DPWH in removing illegal campaign materials.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said thousands of policemen would be responsible for apprehending violators and charging them with violations of the Omnibus Election Code. 

Garcia said the MMDA would start removing illegal posters on Feb. 28. 

Meanwhile, the Comelec will also partner with Filipino communities (FilComs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) for overseas absentee voting (OAV).

“It is expected that the 2019 automated national and local elections will generate higher voter turnout and that a great number of FilComs, NGOs and CSOs may be accredited as partners of the Commission in voter education, information campaign and other voting related activities,” read Resolution 10499 promulgated on Feb. 19.

Under the resolution, those interested have only until March 31 to file an application for accreditation. Once accredited, they will assist in organizing, managing and monitoring the conduct of voting at designated centers, including field and mobile voting, in the country’s posts abroad. – With Sheila Crisostomo