Remove illegal campaign posters, local bets told

MANILA, Philippines — Candidates for local positions in the May polls should take down their illegal posters ahead of the campaign period, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

“We are reminding local candidates to start taking down their campaign posters and streamers... these will be violating campaign rules,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.

The campaign period for local candidates, including those seeking seats at the House of Representatives, is from March 29 to April 11.

Jimenez said the poll body has notified senatorial candidates who posted illegal campaign materials.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon had earlier said 34 candidates, including party-list bets, were ordered to comply with the rules on campaign materials.

Candidates should remove illegal campaign materials within three days after they received a notice from the poll body.

“We are building up cases... We cannot reveal names yet... but we are proceeding with that,” Jimenez said.

He said the poll body deployed Oplan Baklas teams to remove illegal posters.

The Comelec said violation of campaign rules is punishable with imprisonment of up to six years, disqualification from holding public office and loss of the right to vote.

La Union politics

Meanwhile, in La Union, the military said it would perform its mandate to ensure clean, orderly and peaceful elections.

Lt. Col. Charles Castillo, 81st Infantry Battalion commander, gave the assurance in response to the assessment of the Provincial Joint Security Control Center during a meeting on Wednesday of brewing tension among local candidates and their supporters.

La Union was identified as an election area of concern following the killing of Vice Mayor Al-Fred Concepcion and his escort Mike Ulep in an ambush last November.

Concepcion’s daughter Aleli, the incumbent town mayor, was wounded in the attack.     – With Jaime Laude