THE Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office (Penro) on Saturday bared its list of candidates having violated election campaign rules set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Penro head Jesse Vego said included in the list are presidential bets Manuel Villar, Eddie Villanueva, Gilbert Teodoro, Joseph Estrada and Benigno Aquino III.
According to the list Villar has 87 illegal posters posted on trees, Villanueva – 59, Teodoro – 22, Estrada – 3, and Aquino – 2.
For senatorial candidates, among the violators are Ralph Recto, Bong Revilla, Neric Acosta and Gilbert Remulla. Party-list group Bicolnon and Titser group were also listed as violators.
Em Ang of Grupo Progreso running for councilor in Bacolod City was also cited and gubernatorial candidate Rafael Lito Coscolluela.
Vego said the candidates’ campaign materials were found posted, nailed, and hanged on trees. The Comelec, through a memorandum, authorized the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) to remove campaign materials posted on trees as they may harm to the life of trees and plants.
“But we could not prosecute, only we will report our confiscations to the Comelec and they will be the one to execute legal measures against those violators,” said Vego.
Penro conducted two weeks ago their monitoring of illegal posting of campaign materials in Barangay Bata, Bacolod’s gateway in the north with Talisay City as a boundary.
Vego said that the same monitoring is ongoing in Pulupandan, Hinigaran, and Murcia towns.
He said that a candidate’s group upon learning of Penro’s activity has right away removed their campaign materials.