Comelec sends violation notices to 34 poll candidates

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon. SCREENGRAB from INQUIRER.net video

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has sent notices to candidates who were found to have illegal posters as the poll body recorded 34 violations, including from prominent senatorial candidates.

“Paulit-ulit naman na sinasabi namin sa media, take down your illegal posters. So ngayon may notice na sila in writing sa mga election officers,” Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said in an interview with dzBB on Thursday.

Guanzon said that election officers have so far seen the posters of 34 candidates that are either oversized or placed in unauthorized areas.

“Mga 34 ang nahuli ng election officers na kandidato na illegally post…illegal posters dahil naka-post po sa unauthorized location,” she said.

“Kasama na diyan yung kaibigan kong si [Atty. Larry] Gadon, saka si…sino pa nandyan na kilala ko? Si Hilbay. Si Tañada. Si Bam Aquino, Si Sonny Angara,” she added.

She was referring to opposition candidates former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, former Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada and reelecitonist Senators Bam Aquino and Sonny Angara.

“Ang rule diyan. Dati sinusulatan naman, hindi lang namin mini-media,” Guanzon noted.

“Itong mga three days notice na rule, if they would not take it down, di nila tinaggal yan, i-presume namin sa Comelec na kanila yan. So, hindi po pwedeng i-deny yan na ‘Ay Commissioner hindi naman akin yan eh, hindi ko nga picture yan eh’ o ‘Lumang picture ko diyan,’” she added.

The Comelec has earlier given candidates until Thursday (February 14) to remove their illegal campaign posters otherwise the poll body will deploy teams to take down the said materials. /jpv

READ: Comelec to poll bets: Take down illegal posters by Feb. 14