BACOLOD Election Officer Ryan Castro said they have started to conduct voter’s education in the different barangays in Bacolod City starting January 28, 2010.
He said they have conducted voter’s education drive in big barangays and have clustered some small barangays together. Perhaps there are only eight barangays that we have not visited, he said.
Castro said they have already started removing posters of national candidates which were posted outside the common poster areas in the city. These are hanged on trees and electric posts, he said.
They started removing illegal posters last week along San Juan Street up to Lacson Street and in the public plaza along Rizal Street since candidates are prohibited from posting their campaign materials in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral, Castro said.
He said the plaza is a common poster area except the side facing the San Sebastian Cathedral.
Castro said Comelec Resolution 8758 promulgated last Feb. 4,2010, requires them to make a list of all the locations where national candidates and party-lists can have their common poster areas.
Each barangay can have one common poster area for a minimum of 5,000 voters, he said.
They can put up another poster area in the barangay if it has an additional 5,000 voters, he added.
Castro said a common poster area does not refer to the place but the structure where the candidates can commonly put their posters.
He appealed to all candidates to respect the law since the campaign period for the national candidates and party-lists begun already.
They don’t have to put their posters in electric posts or trees but they can ask permission from private property owners so that their campaign materials will not be removed, he said.
Castro said they can not yet remove illegally posted campaign materials of local candidates since their campaign period starts on March 26 yet.