|
Sunday, February 08, 2004
Pull down billboard, Comelec tells Emano
By Stephen Capillas
THE city office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered Mayor Vicente Emano to dismantle the giant "Wow Philippines" billboard which featured the faces of President Arroyo, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and himself.
In a two-page order signed by Regional Comelec Director Bernadita Cabacungan, Acting Comelec City Officer Muslemin Tahir said the display of the billboard located at the Divisoria plaza violates Comelec law on premature campaigning.
The local Comelec office was acting on a complaint by lawyer Roderico Villaroya, official spokesperson of the PDP-Laban Party in the city.
In his complaint Villaroya described the billboard as "blatant premature campaigning by the mayor, the president and the tourism secretary."
He said the Comelec, through its chairman Benjamin Abalos,opined that the Department of Tourism's WOW Philippines posters featuring the President and Gordon's smiling faces are premature campaigning.
Villaroya said in Cagayan de Oro it is not only posters that uglify the historic area of Divisoria but the WOW billboard featuring the faces of Arroyo, Gordon and Emano.
"Their body language as reflected in their made up faces is loud and clear. Forget me not this May 10. (Emano) looks refreshingly angelic--a must for wannabes," he said.
A waste
Tahir cited Section 32 of the resolution which states: "all propaganda materials...and all advertisements on print, radio and television of persons who became candidates subsequent to the display of such materials" should remove the same within three days after the effectivity of the implementing rules.
Otherwise, he said, the radio station, print media or television station shall have been presumed to have conducted premature campaigning in violation of Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Tahir then asked the office of the mayor to assist in the removal of the giant poster.
This was welcomed by congressional bet lawyer Manuel Ravanera and council aspirant Bencyrus Ellorin of the PDP-Laban/Partido Kalikasan coalition.
'We laud the Comelec for citing the mayor for violation of Comelec rules on campaigning," Ravanera said.
Ellorin for his part said such use of propaganda material is a waste of taxpayer's money.
It was learned that a square-foot of tarpaulin campaign materials costs at least P40.00. The 32x48ft tarpaulin billboard in question costs more than P60,000.00.
Mum
Earlier, DOT 10 said there is nothing politically motivated about the establishment of the "Wow Philippines" billboard at the center of Divisoria this city.
DOT 10 Officer-in-Charge Maria Elena Manalo explained that the giant billboard situated at the newly refurbished City Kiosk is installed as part of their agency's expression of appreciation to the city government for its role in tourism promotions.
Arroyo and Emano are running for re-election while Gordon is seeking a Senate seat as part of the Lakas lineup this year. Manalo said the giant vertical billboard is part of their agency's "Wow Philippines" program.
She said contrary to critics's claims the billboard is merely a "positive action" by the national government intended for promoting the city's tourism attractions and not for political advertisements.
"We would like to keep mum about the situation. Anyway we've heard that the billboard will be transferred to a less visible area so there won't be any charges of political campaigning," Manalo told local media.
(February 8, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
|
