5 senatorial bets ‘consistent’ violators of campaign material rules – Comelec

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia leads the agency’s Operation Baklas along Recto Avenue in Sta. Cruz, Manila. 
(Photo from Gabriel P. Lalu / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — On its second-day crackdown on illegal campaign materials, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) found “around five” senatorial candidates consistently violating the rules.

“Around five senatorial candidates are found to be consistent, in all regions, to be violators,” Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said in an ambush interview on Wednesday.

Garcia said the senatorial bets violated the allowed size of their campaign materials, as well as the designated poster areas.

He did not identify the candidates.

Campaign period for national candidates began on February 11.

It will go on until May 10.

READ: Campaign period for national bets begins

During this period, the Comelec can regulate the campaign materials of senatorial and party-list groups.

The Oplan Baklas of Comelec began on Tuesday.

Garcia said “tons” of campaign materials were dismantled on the first day.

Comelec will send a notice to the violators starting Wednesday.

The poll body will order candidates to remove their illegal campaign materials.

Failure to do so would lead to a show cause order, the poll chief warned.