EDITORIAL - Let early birds fly. The eagles have not landed.

In case you have not noticed it, there are already a number of campaign materials pasted and posted along some city streets, mostly on vacant concrete fences protecting private homes and businesses.

The Commission on Elections has admitted it cannot act on the matter unless the person who benefits from the pasting and posting of campaign materials has already filed the required certificate of candidacy, making him or her a candidate.

And since it cannot act on the matter, it is instead asking the private owners of these fences where the campaign materials are pasted and posted to go after the culprits by suing them in court. Only then can the Comelec act.

The way it looks to us, the Comelec is just trying to preempt an anticipated uproar over the early campaigning by staring the noise by itself to deflect attention from glaring loopholes in the election law.

If the loophole allows certain people to get a headstart in their campaigning without actually being candidates yet, that is neither the fault of these people nor of the owners of the private walls and fences on which are pasted and posted early campaign materials.

This loophole did not just materialize yesterday. It has been there since the election law was enacted. If nobody ever took the time to take the necessary steps to correct these flaws, then doing so now is too late.

So let us not begrudge these bright boys who saw the flaw and saw fit to exploit it to their advantage. The law gave them an inch and it is not their fault if they would now try to take an arm.

Besides, if the Comelec is really bent on cleansing the election process, there are far more serious issues that need its prompt and sustained attention. A few early birds whose efforts are not likely to take them anywhere are too petty to waste precious me on. Better let them fly.