By John Rey Saavedra/PNA
CEBU CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) – Cebu vowed to press charges against senatorial candidates found violating the Comelec resolution regulating the hanging and posting of posters and tarpaulins in public places, as the campaign period for national candidates starts Tuesday.
Comelec-Cebu supervisor Jerome Brillantes told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview on Monday that national candidates still have the chance to put down their posters and tarpaulins hanging in places not designated by law, until midnight Tuesday.
“Under the law, naay (there is a) statutory notice, within 24 hours beginning tomorrow to (remove) their campaign posters,” he said.
Brillantes said his office will list down illegally-hung posters in Cebu.
“Failure to remove illegally-hung posters within the period will be considered as hung under either their knowledge or consent,” he said.
The Comelec, according to Brillantes, has a mechanism to enforce Resolution No. 10294 promulgated on April 11, 2018.
The resolution implements Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Elections Act issued in connection with the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on May 14, 2018 but still stands as a regulatory measure for the May 13 mid-term elections this year.
Brillantes said his office has instructed municipal and city election officers to form a committee that will be tasked to tear down posters hung in places and facilities prohibited under the resolution.
The committee consists of the election officer as chair, with a co-chair from the chief of the municipal or city police, he said. A municipal engineer can be the third member of the committee.
“We will file cases against violators. They will be facing possible perpetual disqualification to hold public office (if they are found guilty),” Brillantes said, noting that violation of the resolution is considered “an election offense.”
The Cebu provincial election supervisor promised an honest, peace, and clean conduct of the mid-term election.
