Local candidates would not be violating election laws against premature campaigning when they join the campaign rallies of national candidates, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office said yesterday.
“We don’t have jurisdiction yet over the (local) candidates because their campaign period starts on March 25,” Comelec provincial officer Ferdinand Gujilde said.
He said their jurisdiction is limited to candidates for president, vice-president, Congress and partylist groups.
The campaign period for national candidates started yesterday.
Gujilde said there are existing laws and ordinances that regulate local campaigning like the anti-littering and anti-billboard ordinances, and national laws that prohibit using trees and plants for posting campaign materials.
He said property owners can take down campaign materials posted in their premises on their own.
“Our Comelec resolution states that campaign materials may be posted in private properties with the owners’ permission,” he said.
Under the Fair Elections Act, the Comelec may authorize political parties and partylist groups to set up common poster areas for their candidates in not more than 10 public places such as plazas, markets and barangay centers.
Comelec provincial supervisor Lionel Castillano said they have to set up a structure that they can use to post their campaign materials on and not post them directly on buildings.
Castillano said candidates are not allowed to post campaign materials in public places like highways, bridges, center islands, flyovers, skywalks and underpasses.
He said the “Oplan Baklas” task force composed of the police, Comelec and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will remove these materials and warn the political parties concerned to either remove them or else face charges.
The Comelec also commenced its online “shame campaign” yesterday, the first day of the campaign period for the May elections, against camps which will violate campaign rules.
On his Twitter account, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said that netizens can report election-related infractions by using the hashtag #SumbongKo.
“Use #SumbongKo sa @COMELEC to send reports of campaign violations & other election-related infractions, offline AND online. #PiliPinas,” Jimenez wrote.
He already uploaded on Twitter photos of campaign materials which were illegally posted in prohibited areas such as trees, lampposts, and main city thoroughfares.
Netizens should post the photo along with the date and location where the infraction was committed.