Comelec warns erring party lists of new disqualifications

MANILA, Philippines—Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Wednesday warned party-list groups that there may well be a new wave of cancellations or party-list registration if they are caught violating the rule against the illegal posting of posters during the campaign period.

One day after the start of the campaign period for national positions, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) went on an inspection tour of the city of Manila with the media to check the candidates’ compliance with its “common poster area” rule.

Several campaign banners could be seen pasted on plant boxes and on the columns of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) along Taft Avenue, or hanging from electric posts on Quirino Highway. Meanwhile, the Comelec-designated common poster areas, including Plaza Dilao in Paco, remained bare.

Most of the illegally placed posters belonged to party-list groups Anakpawis, Kabataan, Buhay, AkapBata and Gabriela. Banners with the face of Team Pnoy senatorial candidate Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara were also seen hanging from electric posts on Quirino Highway.

“[The] Comelec is ready to launch a new wave of cancellation of party-list groups, (notwithstanding the ballots having been printed), if prompted by their illegal posters,” said Brillantes.

The Comelec chairman said these party-list groups had better be careful, stressing that violating campaign rules was not only an election offense but a ground for cancellation of party-list registration under Republic Act 7941.

The law says that the Comelec may cancel the registration of a party-list group if it “violates or fails to comply with laws, rules or regulations relating to elections.”

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, who oversees the monitoring of election propaganda, told reporters that the ratio of violations between individual candidates and party-list groups was 3:1, that is, for every individual candidate violating the rule, there are three party-list violators.

Jimenez led Wednesday’s surprise inspection of Manila’s main thoroughfares and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, where the team also spotted streamers of the Kabataan party list mounted in one of the school walls.

The team went to PUP following reports from concerned citizens about illegal posters inside the campus.

“We will notify the school that they have these kinds of materials mounted inside the campus. We will remind them what our rules and regulations are,” he said.

He pointed out that the mounting of election propaganda are prohibited in schools as they are considered public places.

Comelec Resolution 9615 prohibits the mounting or display of election propaganda materials in public places and outside the designated common poster areas.

It also prohibits campaign posters in main streets, bridges, center islands of roads and highways, waiting sheds, lamp and electric posts and wires, and traffic signboards erected on public property.

However, Jimenez assured the schools that they will not be held liable for illegally placed campaign materials. Ultimately, the candidate or party-list organization appearing in the materials will be held responsible, he said.

He also clarified that violations of this kind would not mean automatic disqualification for the candidate or party list. They will be given a three-day notice to take down their illegal posters, he said.

“Potentially, they are violations but we are also considering that it’s just the start of the campaign period and as we go along, we expect intense compliance among candidates and party-list groups,” Jimenez said.