EDITORIAL - Toothless body

The Cebu City office of the Commission on Election seems toothless as far as preventing the proliferation of illegally placed campaign posters is concerned. As we can see, hundreds, if not thousands, of campaign posters of national and local candidates are posted in the city's public places that are not designated by the poll body.

According to the fair election law, there should be a common area for all campaign posters. The law even stipulated a fine and imprisonment against those violators.

However, since the law went into effect almost a decade ago, we have yet to see such provision flexing its muscles. As far as we can remember, no politicians have been sued for placing posters in areas not designated by the Comelec.

In Cebu, campaign posters were rampantly posted on bridges, flyovers, skywalks and other government infrastructures not designated by the Comelec. The poll body has repeatedly reminded politicians about their responsibility to follow the law. But its calls would always fall on deaf ears.

But it's good to know there are few who still adhere to the spirit of fair play. Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, a candidate for mayor, the other day asked the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan to remove all its campaign posters placed in prohibited areas.

Rama said the BOPK should remove all illegal posters to show the public that its candidates are following the law. Rama's request was made after he noted that BOPK posters are placed in undesignated areas.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has been strict about BOPK campaign posters placed in illegal areas. He even urged voters not to vote for candidates who are violating the election law.

The problem is that the Comelec itself has been slow in acting on complaints against those violating the election law. No candidate has so far been convicted of placing posters in undesignated area.

Had the poll body been religious in going after those irresponsible candidates, posting of campaign materials in undesignated areas would have been prevented.