Electoral bets warned vs poll propaganda

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has warned all politicians to remove their “prohibited election propaganda” before the start of the campaign period.

Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said in a statement that candidates who failed to follow Comelec Resolution 9615 will be meted with accordingly.

“We are issuing this call to all candidates: Please remove all prohibited forms of election propaganda before the start of the campaign period. Failure to comply constitutes an election offense punishable by one to six years imprisonment, disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage," Brillantes said.

Section 25 of Comelec Resolution 9615, which provided the rules and regulations implementing Republic Act 9006, or the Fair Election Act in connection with the May 13, 2013 elections, states that all prohibited forms of election propaganda shall be immediately removed before the start of the campaign period.

Prohibited forms of propaganda include any names, images, logos, brands, insignias, color motifs, initials and other forms of identifiable graphical representations placed by incumbent officials on any public structures or places.

Also prohibited are election propaganda posted in government vehicles, public utility vehicles such as buses, jeepneys, trains, taxi cabs, ferries, pedicabs and tricycles, whether motorized or not and within the premises of public terminals such as bus terminals, airports, seaports, docks, piers, train stations and the like.

"This will be strictly monitored through our Campaign Finance Unit," Brillantes said.