A team from City Hall took down anti-Rama streamers mounted in barangay Capitol Site, Mahiga in barangay Mabolo and the Doña Pepang Cemetery in barangay Tejero.
The removal is part of Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella’s Dec. 23 order to remove all unauthorized political campaign materials in the city, said Raquel Arce, head of the Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancment (PROBE) team.
“This is not limited to black propaganda against Mayor Mike (Rama). I received the memo directing me to remove all illegal tarpaulins so we started enforcing it,”she said.
Arce said she first sent her staff on motorbikes to take photos of illegal tarpaulins around the city.
“So I found out the situation through pictures. I sent another team to remove them.”
In the Doña Pepang cemetery, streamers were mounted on the wall of a house. City Hall workers took them down late afternoon after asking the consent of the owner.
“We asked them (the owners) who placed it there, they said it was Councilor Gary Lao who had them ounted,” Arce said.
Lao is running for Cebu City Councilor next year under the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
Sought for comment, Lao said he wasn’t involved.
“I have nothing to deny because in the first place, I have no idea who is the person behind this,” Lao said.
Arce said the PROBE’s next target is to remove unauthorized political banners in mountain barangays.
“It’s only now I knew there are some in the upland barangays. What we focused on first was the downtown area. Then we will go to the mountain barangays,” she said.