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Candidates given 3 days to remove ‘illegal’ campaign materials


Candidates for the May 10 elections have until Friday to remove their campaign materials posted outside of common poster areas or they would be charged, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) warned Wednesday. “We are giving them three days from the effectivity of the resolution to actually comply," said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. Comelec Resolution 8758 requires candidates to put up their advertisements on common poster areas like plazas, markets, and barangay centers. It also states that violation of the campaign rules may constitute and election offense, which is punishable by one to six years imprisonment, disenfranchisement, and disqualification from holding public office. Party-list groups and political parties are only allowed to construct 12 x 16 feet poster areas while independent candidates may only erect 4 x 6 feet poster areas or its equivalent. Nailing campaign materials on plants and trees are also disallowed, according to the Comelec. The resolution, however, still gives candidates three days from the start of the campaign period to remove their campaign materials that are illegally posted. Jimenez said that the Comelec Education and Information Department (EID) would be going around Metro Manila on Friday to check the compliance of the candidates to the resolution. “By Friday if we still see this stuff... we will document that, put it in a pleading and submit that to the [Comelec] Law Department," he said. The spokesperson said that the Law Department would then issue “friendly warnings" to the candidates concerned. If they still don't comply, he said that the Comelec will be forced to file the “necessary" charges. “We need to go after the big ones, the party bosses who are mobilizing these," he said. Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said there hasn't been a person who was punished for violating the campaign rules, but he was quick to note that it's not as if they don't want to. “It's not too late to start," he said. Aside from the EID, Comelec Resolution 8758 has also ordered for the creation of a task force that will be in charge of removing campaign propaganda materials posted in public places outside of common poster areas and monitoring for the persons responsible for this. Jimenez said the task force will be composed of the election officer as the chairman, the station commander of the Philippine National Police as vice chairman, and a third member from any agency deputized by the poll body. He said that the poll body is eyeing the Metro Manila Development Authority to be their deputized agency. Larrazabal, however, advised the public to be vigilant themselves of violators of the campaign rules. “If you see something, please report it to us," he said, adding that those who wish to report a violation may call the numbers 525-9302; 525-9297; 525-9345; 525-9296; 525-9335; 525-9294; 527-5575; and 527-0821. - LBG/KBK, GMANews.TV

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