Comelec should urge bets to remove campaign materials — DILG

HAUL: Workers from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority prepare to haul a pile of campaign materials taken down along the stretch of España Boulevard in Manila on Feb. 18, 2022, as the Commission on Elections starts “Oplan Baklas.” (Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) should urge all candidates in the recently held elections to dismantle and remove their posted campaign materials, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.

“Sana mahikayat ng Comelec ang mga kandidato…Manalo man o matalo, magkaroon ng programa ang Comelec kung saan pagsasama-samahin niya lahat ng mga kandidato at sila ‘yung magiikot para magtanggal ng mga campaign material,” he said in an interview for GMA News’ Balitanghali on Thursday.

(We hope the Comelec can encourage the candidates…Winners and losers. The Comelec should have a program to bring together these candidates so they can go around and remove their campaign materials.)

After teaming up with various local government units and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the DILG reported that an estimated 600 tons of posted campaign materials were removed in the National Capital Region as of May 19. The agency is targeting to finish its post-election cleanup in Metro Manila by the end of this week.

Meanwhile, the DILG is still waiting for updates from its regional offices on the status of the cleanup of campaign materials in the provinces, Malaya said.

“Sa pinakahuling ulat sa amin ng aming mga regional office, lahat naman ng mga LGUs ay nagbabaklas ng kanilang mga campaign material. Iyong iba nga lang, sa sobrang dami ng mga campaign materials ay nahihirapan na mabaklas ito lahat,” he said.

(In the latest report of our regional offices, all LGUs have been removing their campaign materials. For others, however, there are too many campaign materials to collect which is why they’re having a hard time.)

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, along with other environmental groups, earlier challenged local and national election candidates to dispose of their campaign materials to comply with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Environmental organizations have also launched efforts to reuse and repurpose campaign materials to reduce post-election trash.

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