‘Kahit tarp ko pa yan’: Pasig’s Vico Sotto bans posting of election materials on public property

MANILA, Philippines — Placing political aspirants’ campaign materials like posters, tarpaulins, and even ribbons on Pasig City’s public properties is not allowed, Mayor Vico Sotto said on Friday.

In a tweet, Sotto shared a copy of the memorandum addressed to Lt. Col. Rodrigo de Dios, head of Pasig City Police Station’s Peace and Order Department, instructing the police officers to remove any campaign materials either for electioneering or commercial purposes that are placed on public spaces.

The ban, Sotto says, would include even posters of him for his reelection bid in 2022.

“I instructed our personnel through the City Admin to remove election-related materials posted in PUBLIC PROPERTY.  Kahit tarp ko pa yan (Even if that tarp shows my picture),” Sotto said in his tweet.

I instructed our personnel through the City Admin to remove election-related materials posted in PUBLIC PROPERTY.

Kahit tarp ko pa yan.

IF private property was included then this was a mistake, and u may report to Ugnayan sa Pasig instead of posting without knowing the details. pic.twitter.com/XgXjNKTDPQ

— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) December 3, 2021

The memorandum however clarified that people may place their campaign materials on private property.

“All posters, ribbons, and other related materials for purposes of electioneering and/or commercial purposes without express authorization of the city government are to be removed immediately from city owned properties, such as, but not limited to, city-owned lamp posts, perimeter walls, and city buildings,” the memorandum signed by City Administrator Jeronimo Manzanero said.

“The public may, however, place the abovementioned materials in their private properties,” it added.

Sotto clarified that if law enforcers removed a campaign material that was posted on a private property, the public can report it to the Ugnayan ng Pasig.

“IF private property was included then this was a mistake, and you may report to Ugnayan sa Pasig instead of posting without knowing the details,” he explained.

Campaign materials of political camps being removed has been an issue recently, with volunteers supportive of Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential bid claiming that their tarpaulins and ribbons in Masbate City and Zamboanga City were removed.

While there were photos showing city officers removing pink ribbons along electrical posts and lamp posts on a street’s center island, there were also incidents wherein tarpaulins within private properties were removed.

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