Dagupan forms Task Force Baklas to remove election materials

DAGUPAN CITY ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Barely a day after senatorial candidates hit the campaign trail, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) here has formed Task Force Baklas to tear down and remove all election materials posted in areas not designated by the electoral body.

Lawyer Remarque Ravanzo, city election officer, said he deemed it best to convene the task force as the campaign period has started and campaign propaganda materials have started appearing in every nook and corner of the city.

The other day, posters of re-electionist Edgardo Angara and Manny Villar have been posted in several areas here.

Task Force Baklas is composed of the election officer as chairman, police chief Superintendent Basbas and Department of Interior and Local Government city director Expedita Callanta as vice chairmen and a third member belonging to any of the deputized agencies of the Comelec.

Ravanzo said the task force is embodied under section 30 of Comelec Resolution No. 7767 providing for rules and regulations implementing Republic Act No. 9006, otherwise known as the Fair Election Act.

He said under the said resolution, local government units are deputized to prevent, remove, destroy, confiscate or tear down any prohibited propaganda materials without any partiality.

Service providers like Digitel and Dagupan Electric Corp. were invited to the meeting for their support and to apprise them of the prohibitions regarding the posting of campaign propaganda materials.

Ravanazo said in this city, the designated common poster areas are the public plaza, the public market and the barangay centers.

He said members of the police and other law enforcement agencies called upon by the election officer or other officials of the Comelec shall apprehend the violators.