Comelec Cebu to hold Operation Baklas by April

This concrete wall along M.J. Cuenco Ave. in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City is covered with campaign posters and catches the attention of a passerby. In a few days, though, these posters will be gone. They will be removed under Comelec’s “Operation Baklas” program.    | CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Cebu will be holding its pre-election Operation Baklas by April 2022, to clear the local government units (LGUs) of illegal campaign materials.

Acting Election Supervisor Jerom Brillantes, said that Operation Baklas will follow a week or two after the start of the election period on March 25, 2022.

This will also give time for candidates to take down their own campaign paraphernalia voluntarily especially if this paraphernalia violate the regulations of the COMELEC.

“Coming na duol na lang kaayo ang campaign period for the local candidates. By Monday, magmeeting ta sa atong election officers to guide them most especially sa Baklas. Magbaklas ta mga first week, second week of April,” said Brillantes.

The election supervisor reminded the candidates that campaign tarps and posters can only be two by three (2×3) meters and can be placed within the designated posting areas in a barangay.

The election officers of each LGU or district will have already identified election posters areas by now. These are the only legal public areas to post the campaign materials.

Violations of these regulations will result in consequences that will be determined by the polling body.

While public areas are in the domain of the COMELEC to regulate, private properties are untouchable for now.

This means that massive billboards that line the major highways such as along the Banilad Road, South Road Properties (SRP), Natalio Bacalso Avenue, and others cannot be removed by the COMELEC.

The Supreme Court has ordered a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the removal of these campaign materials as they hear two cases arguing that campaigns within private properties cannot be regulated by the COMELEC.

So for now, people will continue to see these massive billboards of candidates all over Metro Cebu, Brillantes said.      /rcg

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