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Comelec removes illegal campaign materials in BARMM ahead of parliamentary polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday started removing illegal campaign materials in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ahead of its first parliamentary elections next month.
During the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel forum, Comelec Chair George Garcia said members of the poll body's personnel were accompanied by Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) troops in the removal operations to ensure their safety.
This came after a shooting incident during its removal of illegal campaign materials in Mindanao in 2023.
"'Wag niyo po kami pipigilan kasi illegal 'yung mga posters niyo. [Kung nasa] Private [property], kahit ganoon kalaki, wala tayong magagawa," Garcia said.
(Do not stop us from removing illegal posters. But if these are on private property, regardless of their size, we cannot do anything about them.)
"Pero 'pag po ang inyo mga campaign materials ay nilagay niyo na sa labas ng private property na sa public properties na tulad ng parke, tulad ng mga terminal at mga iba pang public areas, tatanggalin po namin 'yan," he added.
(If you put your campaign materials outside your private property, in public properties like parks, terminals, we will remove them.)
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army have started deploying more personnel to secure the BARMM elections, which is scheduled on September 14.
Areas of concern
In a statement, the PNP said it is stepping up security measures in 108 areas identified by the Comelec as areas of concern.
Of these areas, Lanao del Sur has the highest number of red zones with 21.
Maguindanao del Sur, meanwhile, has 11 areas classified as orange zones. Maguindanao del Norte and Basilan have areas classified under varying levels of risk, while Tawi-Tawi remains relatively secure and stable, according to the PNP.
Allowable election materials
Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act states that the following election propaganda are allowed:
- Pamphlets, leaflets, cards, decals, stickers or other written or printed materials the size of which does not exceed eight and one-half inches in width and fourteen inches in length;
- Handwritten or printed letters urging voters to vote for or against any particular political party or candidate for public office;
- Cloth, paper or cardboard posters, whether framed or posted, with an area not exceeding two feet by three feet, except that, at the site and on the occasion of a public meeting or rally, or in announcing the holding of said meeting or rally, streamers not exceeding three feet by eight feet in size. These streamers may be displayed five days before the date of the meeting or rally and shall be removed within 24 hours after said meeting or rally;
- Mobile units, vehicles, motorcades of all types, whether engine or manpower driven or animal drawn, with or without sound systems or loud speakers and with or without lights; Pamphlets, leaflets, cards/ decals, stickers, or other written or printed materials posted on mobile units, vehicles/ or motorcades sha1l be subject to the size limitations provided by the poll body;
- Paid advertisements in print or broadcast media subject to the requirements set forth in Section 11 hereof and the Fair Election Act;
- Outdoor and static or LED billboards owned by private entities or persons;
- Mobile or transit advertisement on public utility vehicles provided that the advertisement is consistent with the guidelines of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for commercial advertisement;
- Signboard displayed in the headquarters subject to the limitation of Comelec; and
- All other forms of election propaganda not prohibited by the Omnibus Election Code.
Modernizing elections
Meanwhile, Garcia said the Comelec's push to modernize the country's elections should not result in voter disenfranchisement.
To help the public better understand the technology used in the elections, Garcia said technical terms should be simplified and options be available to voters.
"Kinakailangan hindi teknikal ang mga paliwanag. 'Pag bumaba kami sa mga barangay, ang lengguwahe na gagamitin natin ay madaling maunawaan," Garcia said.
(The language we used when explaning the technicality should be simple. If we go to the barangays, we should use language that can be easily understood.)
This also include explanation on how the automated counting machines, for example, ensure that the votes the public cast are counted, as well the process when senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disability cast their votes. — VDV, GMA News
