Clean up poll mess in 3 days: MMDA

Metropolitan Manila Department Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. yesterday gave local government officials three days to clean-up their respective areas of election paraphernalia and campaign posters.

"All available personnel should be committed to the task of cleaning up walls and other areas, of campaign posters and election paraphernalia," said Abalos. "The job should be over by Thursday or after three days."

The MMDA, Abalos said, would ask local government officials to enlist local metro aides, non-government organizations and concerned citizens in their clean-up.

"The more personnel poured into the clean-up, the better," said Abalos, as he encouraged supporters of congressional and local candidates, especially those who posted and distributed the campaign materials, to extend a helping hand.

Abalos expects losing local candidates not to heed his appeal but expressed hope the winners would be in the forefront of the MMDA’s clean-up drive.

Abalos and Director Edgar Aglipay, chief of the directorate for operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted an inspection of areas of concern in Metro Manila in yesterday’s elections.

The MMDA chairman and Aglipay noted the high piles of campaign materials in polling precincts and neighboring areas. The walls of Metro Manila’s busy streets and thoroughfares were also covered by campaign posters.

Majority of the campaign posters and election paraphernalia used by congressional and local candidates were made of light paper, which according to Abalos, can easily be "dissolved", unlike plastic materials that can clog drainage. – Non Alquitran