TAKEN DOWN Campaign posters dismantled by members of the government’s “Oplan Baklas” team in a Feb. 19 operation are collected at the Commission on Elections’ compound in Baguio City. —NEIL CLARK ONGCHANGCO
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) for now will not be removing illegally posted campaign materials in private property but will just be “noting their existence,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said on Friday.
To recall, the Supreme Court earlier issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) directing the poll body to suspend its “Oplan Baklas” or the removal of illegal campaign materials.
“For the meantime, those materials on private properties will not be touched. However, we will be noting them, we will be noting their existence, and where they are and who controls the property that they can be found on,” Jimenez said over ANC.
Jimenez, however, noted that the Comelec will still continue to remove illegal campaign materials posted on light posts, waiting sheds, walls of parks and other areas not identified as common poster areas, saying the poll body still has the authority to remove illegal campaign materials posted in public areas.
When asked what kind of campaign materials are within the Comelec’s authority to take down, Jimenez said: “That would be illegal campaign materials posted in public places.”
“We will still go after them. Operation Baklas will still go after those illegally posted materials,” he added.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia on Thursday added that the poll body will “respect” the campaign posters posted in private property.
Garcia, who is also a veteran election lawyer, said he personally believes campaign posters posted in private property should be outside of Comelec’s regulation.
Property owners who are supporters of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo earlier took their case before the SC against “Oplan Baklas” after Comelec personnel, accompanied by the police, removed election materials posted in private property.