Team PNoy ordered to remove 'illegal' campaign poster

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) sent out notices to the Liberal Party-led coalition Team PNoy after it was found to have a campaign material placed in a prohibited area.

"Notices re Team PNoy's illegal poster will have to be sent to the individual candidates appearing on the ad," Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said on his official Twitter account, @ChairBrillantes.

Earlier, the Comelec Law Department reported an illegal campaign poster of Team PNoy on an electric post along West Service Road in Parañaque City.

Brillantes said the notices were sent to the individual candidates, namely: Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Maria Ana Consuelo Madrigal, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, Cynthia Villar, Ana Theresia Hontiveros, Aquilino Martin Pimentel III, Lorna Legarda, Francis Joseph Escudero, and Mary Grace Llamanzares, since there is no officially registered Team PNoy coalition.

"We treat it as a tandem/joint ad. Note that Team PNoy is NOT an accredited coalition but an 'informal' banding of candidates coming from different parties," said Brillantes.

All those given notices are given three days to remove the posters or else risk election offense charges.

Under Comelec Resolution 9615, parties and candidates may post any lawful campaign material only in authorized common poster areas in public places and in private places provided it has the consent of the owner.

Violation of the said resolution entails an election offense, which carries a penalty of one to six years imprisonment, removal of right to vote, and prohibition to occupy public office.

Earlier sent notices separately were Hontiveros; Teddy Casino; Angara; Trillanes; Mayor Edward Hagedorn; Juan Ponce Enrile Jr.; Juan Miguel Zubiri; Nancy Binay; Pimentel; Escudero; Madrigal; Aquino; Cayetano; Villar; Magsaysay; and Llamanzares. (HDT/Sunnex)