Comelec seeks tighter rules on posting ads

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) is proposing stricter guidelines to ensure that candidates could not easily skirt responsibility for the posting of illegal campaign materials in public places.

In its draft implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the Fair Elections Act for the May 9 balloting, the Comelec will require donated campaign materials to carry a written acceptance note by the candidate or the party treasurer before they could be posted in public places.

In previous elections, the poll body had difficulty running after candidates whose faces or names appeared in illegally placed posters because some candidates argued that they had no personal knowledge of the campaign materials.

“Election propaganda materials donated or contributed by any person to a candidate or party shall not be printed, published, broadcast or exhibited unless it is accompanied by the written acceptance of the candidate or party, through the party treasurer,” the draft IRR said.

It added that donated election campaign posters and other paraphernalia must be personally accepted by the candidate or the party treasurer.

The Comelec, in the draft IRR, also proposed removing “aggregate” time limits to broadcast election materials in favor of “per station” quotas.

Based on the document, candidates and registered political parties seeking national posts will be given not more than 120 minutes of TV ads on a per station basis, whether appearing on national, regional or local, free or cable television, and 180 minutes of radio ads on a per station basis.

Candidates for local elective posts will be allotted not more than 60 minutes of TV commercials on a per station basis and 90 minutes of radio ads, states the draft IRR.

The election body also proposed to make it a requirement for parties and candidates to use environment-friendly and recyclable election paraphernalia and indicate on each of them the phrase, “This material should be recycled.”

The poll body is scheduled to hold a public consultation on the draft IRR at the Comelec’s main office today (Monday).