By Ferdinand Patinio/PNA
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking to tap a company to help in removing illegal billboards of candidates in the May 13 mid-term polls, an official said on Thursday.
Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said they may ask aspirants to shoulder the cost of removing the campaign materials.
“I was suggesting to the Commission en banc today that we just rent or contract with a company that will remove these billboards and we will, by law, charge the expenses to them (candidates),” she said in an interview.
She said aside from possible violation of campaign laws, candidates may also face election offense charges if they will not remove their illegal campaign materials.
“We cannot just keep on removing these things because the candidates must learn a lesson. They should remove their (billboards),” Guanzon said.
Meanwhile, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the cost will only be collected from the candidate once the final ruling on poll offense case has been issued.
“You leave the collection when the culpability has been established. That will form part of the awarding of the courts on the cost of dismantling,” he said in a separate interview.
He added that based on the proposal, the charge may be considered as the Commission’s “recovery of costs”.
Jimenez also discouraged the public from taking down illegal campaign posters.
“Technically, people can take them down. But I will not advice it because it is dangerous,” he said, aading that supporters will not take it lightly when they see a person taking down campaign materials they have posted.
He instead encouraged them to just report illegal campaign posters to the Comelec.
