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Barely a few hours into the start of the campaign period, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) already had to deal with complaints of two election-related violations from local and national candidates yesterday.
The camp of Rep. Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu?s 4th district accused political rivals, the Martinezes, of removing and destroying his tarpaulin twice in San Remigio town last week.
Daphnie Salimbangon, a distant relative, told San Remigio police that two supporters of Bogo City Mayor Celestino ?Junie? Martinez Jr. removed one tarpaulin last Jan. 21 and another one in Hagnaya wharf, all in San Remigio, last Feb. 6. Each tarpaulin cost P15,000.
Senior Supt. Erson Digal, Cebu provincial police office chief, said the mayor reportedly admitted that he told his men to remove the tarpaulin bearing Salimbangon's face.
Digal said the mayor called him up and said the tarpaulin identifying Salimbangon as Cebu?s fourth district representative was misleading.
He said the mayor stressed tht son Celestino ?Tining? Martinez III had been declared as the rightful representative by the Supreme Court recently.
Salimbangon filed a motion for reconsideration before the High Tribunal and continues to sit as congressman.
Digal said only the Comelec can order the removal of any political paraphernalia.
He said they will provide security for Comelec personnel to withdraw the materials.
The Comelec Cebu City office reminded local and national candidates not to indiscriminately post campaign materials but limit these to the designated areas.
Cebu City election officer Marchel Sarno reiterated this after saying that they asked the Belo Medical Group to remove their billboards featuring senatorial aspirant Adel Tamano.
Sarno said they will write to the Belo Medical Group to remove these billboards featuring Tamano, within three days lest they be cited for election violations.
Tamano is a lawyer for the Belo Medical Group.
Even before the campaign period began, Sarno said posters featuring Councilors Augustus Pe Jr. and Edgardo Labella and barangay captain Noel Wenceslao were plastered all over McArthur Boulevard.
All three are candidates of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) administration party.
But Sarno said they would focus their efforts on national candidates starting today since the campaign period for local candidates begins on March 26.
Under the guidelines, candidates can place their posters in public places in Comelec designated areas or in private property.
He said candidates could get a copy of the designated common poster areas in the Comelec offices.
Poster sizes should not exceed 2 feet by 3 feet.
Banners must measure three feet by eight feet and can only be placed in assembly sites one week before a campaign rally and should be removed one week after.
Government buildings are off-limits while campaign materials posted on private property should have the owner's permission.
While warning that violators would face sanctions, Sarno said complainants should come forward since the agency can?t file the complaints themselves.
He said Comelec encourages the public to file these complaints with the office so they can act on it.
