Comelec begins crackdown on illegal campaign materials

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially launched its “Oplan Baklas” or the removal of illegal campaign materials on Tuesday, the official start of the campaign period for senators and party-list candidates.

The simultaneous operation started at 4 a.m., with different local Comelec offices and partner agencies spearheading their own operation.

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In Quezon City, around 300 personnel fro city hall were deployed in six districts of the city, supervised by six Comelec election officers.

"Ang gagawin natin for today ay tatanggalin natin mula sa mga lansangan ang mga campaign posters ng mga kandidato, national candidates as well as party-list candidates. Ngayon kasi start na ng campaign period meaning to say, bawal na silang magpost ng mga campaign materials sa mga public places. Doon lang dapat sila sa designated areas," said Atty. John Fajardo, Comelec Election Officer for District 5.

"Ang sizes na required [for posters] is 2x3 [feet] lang however, regardless of the size, pagmali ang pinaglagyan natin ay bawal po ito lalo na kapag nilagay sa mga puno, sa kawad ng kuryente, or places kung saan sinabi ng Comelec na bawal," he added.

Personnel from the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), Traffic and Transport Management Department and other agencies dismantled campaign posters of different partly-list candidates, illegally posted along Araneta Avenue, Quezon Avenue, E. Rodriguez and other areas.

"So ang effort namin ay concentrated sa anim na distrito, historically ang districts 1, 4 and 2 ang mga mararami [illegal campaign materials] Kaya minabuti namin na marami ang binuong grupo na magbabaklas ng mga illegal campaign materials. Designated 2 trucks per district, atleast 50 personnel per district," said Dexter Cardenas, Chief of Quezon City's Traffic and Transport Management Department.

"i-coconsolidate namin sa isang lugar, at hindi na ibabalik yun kasi ilegal sila," he added.