Local campaign heats up; posters are put on top of each other – Comelec

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia leads the agency’s Operation Baklas along Recto Avenue in Sta. Cruz, Manila. (File photo from GABRIEL P. LALU / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — The campaign period for local candidates is seen to be “more heated,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday.

Garcia noted that tactics such as tampering of rival camp’s campaign materials are common during this period, which will begin on March 28 until May 10.

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“Mas mainit yan dahil meron kasi d’yan na nagpapatungan ng campaign materials — nakapaskil na ‘yung isa, papatungan naman ng Oplan Kabit ng iba,” Garcia said in a radio dwPM interview.

(It is more heated because there are cases where they put campaign materials on top of each other — the posted materials of the other candidate will be blocked by the “Oplan Kabit” personnel of other candidates.)

“Dyan nagkakaroon ng kaguluhan at pag-i-init ng mga supporters at kanilang mga campaign staff dahil nga sa walang respetuhan doon sa simpleng pagkakabit na lang eh,” he added.

(That’s where conflict starts and the heated [exchange] of supporters and their campaign staff because there is no respect even with simple things like putting of campaign materials.)

Garcia also urged local bets to “train” their staff not to put campaign materials in electric posts and wires as well as not nailing tarpaulins on trees.

The Comelec said it will conduct another “Oplan Baklas” on Friday, March 28 to dismantle unlawful campaign materials.

And like the previous “Oplan Baklas” for national candidates, Garcia said the Comelec will write a notice to remove erring campaign materials.

He warned that non-compliance to this regulation may lead to an election offense.