40 Senate bets found to have illegal posters, says Comelec exec

Forty senatorial candidates have been found to have illegal campaign posters, Commissioner Rowena Guazon said in a tweet on Friday afternoon.

In her Twitter post, Guazon posted what appeared to be the list of Senate bets who were found to have illegal campaign materials as of Thursday.

34 plus 6 senatorial candidates have illegal posters as of yesterday. @jabjimenez @dirfrancesarabe @COMELEC pic.twitter.com/jKgxtBtP7o

— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) February 15, 2019

Guanzon’s list included:

• Singer Ferdinand Aguilar
• Ibrahim Albani
• Magdalo party-list representative Gary Alejano
• Richard Alfajora
• ex-Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III
• Sen. Sonny Angara
• Sen. Bam Aquino
• Ernesto Arellano
• Marcelino Arias
• Bernard Austria
• Sen. Nancy Binay
• Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano
• former Biliran representative Glenn Chong
• former Bayan Muna party-list representative Neri Colmenares
• human rights lawyer Chel Diokno
• Sen. JV Ejercito
• former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
• lawyer Lorenzo Gadon
• Conrado Generoso
• ex-Solicitor General Florin Hilbay
• Leborio Jangao, Jr.
• Rodolfo Javellana, Jr.
• former Sen. Lito Lapid
• election lawyer Romulo Macalintal
• Emily Malilin
• Faisal Mangondato
• Maguindanao representative Zajid Mangudadatu
• Jose Matula
• Luther Meniano
• Allan Montano ?
• Dr. Willie Ong
• ex-Sen. Sergio Osmeña III
• Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
• Sen. Grace Poe
• Danilo Rolledo
• former Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III
• Antonio Valdes and
• Sen. Cynthia Villar

Illegal campaign posters are either over-sized or placed in prohibited places, or both.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, in his own series of tweets, showed pictures of illegal posters belonging to the camps of senatorial candidates and party-list groups.

Among the party-list groups that had illegal campaign posters include Buhay, Ang Kabuhayan, Bagong Henerasyon and Manila Teachers.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, in his own series of tweets, as well as the Comelec Twitter account showed pictures of illegal posters belonging to the camps of senatorial candidates and party-list groups.

Based on these Twitter posts, those Senators who had illegal posters include:

• former Philippine National Police Chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa
• former Senator Estrada
• Dr. Ong
• former Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas of the Department of Interior and Local Government
• former Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Francis Tolentino
• Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos
• former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go
• Senator Angara
• Senator Ejercito
• former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. and
• Senator Poe

“This documentation drive is not for the purpose of getting anyone disqualified. It is to ensure that the campaigns comply with the rules,” Jimenez said.

“The end goal is compliance, not disqualification,” he added.

Under the Comelec Resolution 10488 which serves as implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act for the May 2019 polls, parties and candidates may post their campaign materials in:

• authorized common poster areas in public places as plazas, markets, barangay centers and the like where posters may be readily seen or read, and with the heaviest pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic in the city or municipality; and
• private property, provided that the posting has the consent of the owner thereof.

Posters and tarpaulins of political parties and party-list groups should only measure 12 feet by 16 feet or its equivalent but not exceeding a total area of 192 square feet, while posters of independent candidates should be within four feet by six feet or its equivalent but not exceeding a total area of 24 square feet.

For individual posters allowed in common poster areas, their sizes should not exceed two feet by three feet. —NB, GMA News