MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) advised local candidates Tuesday to remove whatever campaign materials they already have posted before the local campaign period starts on March 29.
“All candidates who have already placed election materials before the start of the local campaign period, please take them down before Friday,” Director Esmeralda Ladra of the Comelec Law Department told reporters in an interview.
“Please remove the election propaganda so that they won’t become evidence against your campaign or candidacy,” she said.
Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said previously that they have already seen many instances of illegally placed election propaganda of local candidates.
However they cannot yet act on reports about the illegal election propaganda since the local campaign period has not officially started, he said.
With the official start of the local campaign period on March 29 Friday, local candidates can be issued legal notices to take down their paraphernalia displayed in prohibited places.
Jimenez said that they will begin inspections in areas with many reported cases of illegal election paraphernalia so that legal notices could be issued to the local candidates.
Ladra also reminded local candidates that campaigning on the first day of the local campaign period, Good Friday, is prohibited.