Candidates asked not to post ads on trees

"Please spare the trees."

This was the appeal made by the Commission on Elections to political aspirants who are posting their election campaign materials on trees in advertising their candidacy.

Comelec-7 regional election attorney Lionel Marco Castillano, during the weekly Bee Forum: "Comelec Hour" at Casino Español, bared that election paraphernalia are being nailed onto trees as campaign season heats up.

Trees are noticed to have become favorite common poster areas for political candidates.

Under the Fair Elections Act, candidates are prohibited to post their campaign materials in churches, trees, electric posts, shrines, schools and bridges. The only common poster areas designated by the Comelec are plazas, barangay halls, public markets and sports complexes/centers.

Though the barangay hall is considered a public place, Castillano clarified that political parties must set up their own temporary structures at barangay halls where they could paste the posters of their candidates.

The temporary structure which is billboard type must be 12' X 16' in size. For independent candidates, the size of the temporary structure must be 4' X 6', Castillano added.

He further said that every candidate is only allowed one poster area in the barangay as the regulation aims to ensure equal opportunity for every political aspirant wanting public exposure.

In case the common poster area is not sufficient, Castillano advised political parties or candidates to petition for additional poster areas through the Comelec.

In order to strictly implement the election guidelines on the posting of election materials only in designated areas, the Comelec has deputized barangay tanods and officials to tear down campaign materials posted in non-designated areas through the direct supervision of the Department of Interior and Local Governments.

The Comelec has the power to notify candidates who have violated the rule on illegal posting of campaign materials and that, three days upon receipt of the notice, failure to tear down the streamers or posters may lead to the presumption that the candidate was the one who ordered for the pasting of the posters in a non-designated area, Castillano said. - Gregg M. Rubio