Comelec rules on campaign materials should apply to all —Lacson

BAGUIO CITY— Presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement its rules and regulations in campaigning, including the installation of election paraphernalia, fairly to all national and local candidates.

In an interview with reporters at Newtown Plaza Hotel in Baguio City, Lacson questioned anew the feasibility of the poll body’s rules and regulations related to the candidates’ election campaigns, including the posting of their paraphernalia.

“Is it implementable? Kung in-implement nila sa isang grupo, implement nila sa lahat,” the presidential candidate told reporters.

(Is it implementable? If they implement it to one group, implement it to all.)

“Nakita ninyo naman left and right ang violation ng mga ibang tumatakbo. What has the Comelec done to implement their own regulation? Dapat pantay-pantay lang ‘di ba? Kung may regulations tapos hindi ia-apply sa lahat, what is the use?” he went on.

(There are left and right violations by other candidates. What has the Comelec done to implement their own regulation? It should be applied fairly to all candidates, right? If the regulations will not be applied to all, then what is the use?)

His runningmate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, supported Lacson’s complaint, saying there are huge billboards which are still installed along the country’s expressways.

“Nadaan ba kayo ng [North Luzon Expressway] kanina? ‘Yun ang sinasabi ni Senator Lacson. Pagkabawal sa isa, bawal sa lahat. Tingnan ninyo 'yung NLEX, isang hilera,” Sotto said.

(Have you seen the billboards in NLEX? That's what Senator Lacson is talking about.)

Lacson also hinted of violations of other presidential candidates, noting the huge billboards along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

When pressed to name the candidates, he indirectly referred to other candidates who use pink and red as their campaign colors.

“Marami kaming billboards d’on ha pero pagdating ng February 8, taken down,” Lacson added.

(We have a lot of billboards along [SLEX] but on February 8, all of those were taken down.)

Nevertheless, Lacson said he welcomes the Comelec’s statement, saying they will consider their rules about campaigning, including the rules on posters.

“Sila ‘yung regulatory body, sila ‘yung nag-iimplement, sila ‘yung naglalabas ng resolution…pero mabuti  the executives have said they will consider,” Lacson said.

(They are the regulatory body. They are the ones who implement it. It is good that the executives have said they will consider.)

If the regulations remain questionable, Lacson said they can appeal these rules before the Supreme Court.

“Kami, we can only appeal. We can only request for reconsideration, to revisit...Now if you want to go further, we can go to the Supreme Court to question. Will we do that? Probably,” he said.

“We don’t know kung talagang medyo abusive saka impractical, saka unreasonable ‘yung mga pinapalabas na mga directive. Puwede naming gawin ‘yon,” he added.

(We don't know if these directives are kind of abusive, impractical, and unreasonable. We could always seek legal remedies.)

Earlier in the day, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll commission is reviewing its regulations on campaign posters after drawing flak over its "Oplan Baklas" operations.

He said the poll body would specifically review the implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act or its Sections 22 to 29.

So far, no official complaint has been lodged before the poll body, according to Jimenez.

Some organizations and political personalities have criticized the Oplan Baklas operations of the poll body, which removed oversized campaign posters inside private property of individuals who are not candidates or part of a political party.

The Comelec has set the size of campaign posters to 2 feet by 3 feet.

Jimenez clarified that the campaign posters would not be removed without prior consent.

Critics have said that Comelec is violating constitutional rights, including that of free speech and right to property, as well as defying the Supreme Court ruling on The Diocese of Bacolod vs. the Comelec case which allowed the Diocese to continue displaying larger than life posters classifying 2013 Senate bets as Team Patay (Pro-Reproductive Health bill) and Team Buhay (Anti-Reproductive Health bill).

Jimenez, in a separate interview, justified the “Oplan Baklas” saying the size of campaign posters put up by private individuals inside private properties should be regulated because it is election propaganda, not protected speech.—AOL, GMA News