By Kristine L. Alave, Edson C. Tandoc Jr., Dona Pazzibugan (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100317-259153/Take-down-oversized-billboards-Gordon-told
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has warned candidates Sen. Richard Gordon, his running mate Bayani Fernando and Bro. Eddie Villanueva to take down their campaign billboards that are oversized, lest they risk election charges.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez Tuesday said the poll agency had been monitoring the outdoor ads of the candidates and found billboards of Gordon, Fernando and Villanueva that exceeded the size mandated by law.
“The clock is ticking. They should remove the billboards forthwith, otherwise they risk sanctions for violating election laws,” Jimenez said.
He said the Comelec sent photos of the offending billboards to its law department, which would notify the candidates to take them down.
Jimenez said the Gordon and Fernando billboards were found along EDSA and the South Luzon Expressway.
Villanueva, on the other hand, had a giant banner near Quiapo Bridge in Manila.
Jimenez said the billboards exceeded the sizes provided in the Fair Elections Act. Under the law, printed campaign matter should not exceed eight-and-a-half inches by 14 inches in size, and posters must be no bigger than two feet by three feet.
Those convicted of election offenses face up to six years imprisonment and disqualification from public office.
Gordon branded the Comelec as “unfair” for only calling attention to his billboards when other presidential candidates, he said, like Manny Villar and Gilbert Teodoro had much bigger ones in the provinces.
Fernando, for his part, said presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III had huge posters displayed in Tarlac.
Gordon said his two billboards on EDSA and the expressway were put up by private persons on private property.
The Bagumbayan Party standard-bearer, who is a lawyer, argued that the size limit may be imposed on posters hung in common areas and public places, but not on those on private property.
Sought for comment, Comelec law department head Ferdinand Rafanan said: “You cannot use private property to violate the law.”
Fernando said the questioned billboards were donated and put up by volunteers.
He said he would take them down if the Comelec told him to do so.
But he said he had not received any notice from the agency as of Tuesday afternoon.
Lawyer Ted Pascua, secretary general of Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas party, said in a statement Tuesday: “The procedure is for the Comelec to issue a letter of warning. I am unaware of such a letter from the Comelec.”
“Bangon used to have a Bro. Eddie billboard in that area [Quiapo] but we took it down the first time the Comelec warned of billboards beyond the requisites allowed,” he said.
“There is therefore no Bro. Eddie campaign billboard in that area,” he added.
“Bangon will certainly comply with legal and valid requirements from the Comelec and trusts that the Comelec would uniformly and consistently enforce its rules and regulations,” he said.
He, however, pointed out that the Comelec hadn’t done anything about the “small posters nailed to trees, posts, etc., which also violate the rules on campaign materials. These small posters are more deleterious and violative of the law than one big one.”
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has warned candidates Sen. Richard Gordon, his running mate Bayani Fernando and Bro. Eddie Villanueva to take down their campaign billboards that are oversized, lest they risk election charges.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez Tuesday said the poll agency had been monitoring the outdoor ads of the candidates and found billboards of Gordon, Fernando and Villanueva that exceeded the size mandated by law.
“The clock is ticking. They should remove the billboards forthwith, otherwise they risk sanctions for violating election laws,” Jimenez said.
He said the Comelec sent photos of the offending billboards to its law department, which would notify the candidates to take them down.
Jimenez said the Gordon and Fernando billboards were found along EDSA and the South Luzon Expressway.
Villanueva, on the other hand, had a giant banner near Quiapo Bridge in Manila.
Jimenez said the billboards exceeded the sizes provided in the Fair Elections Act. Under the law, printed campaign matter should not exceed eight-and-a-half inches by 14 inches in size, and posters must be no bigger than two feet by three feet.
Those convicted of election offenses face up to six years imprisonment and disqualification from public office.
Gordon branded the Comelec as “unfair” for only calling attention to his billboards when other presidential candidates, he said, like Manny Villar and Gilbert Teodoro had much bigger ones in the provinces.
Fernando, for his part, said presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III had huge posters displayed in Tarlac.
Gordon said his two billboards on EDSA and the expressway were put up by private persons on private property.
The Bagumbayan Party standard-bearer, who is a lawyer, argued that the size limit may be imposed on posters hung in common areas and public places, but not on those on private property.
Sought for comment, Comelec law department head Ferdinand Rafanan said: “You cannot use private property to violate the law.”
Fernando said the questioned billboards were donated and put up by volunteers.
He said he would take them down if the Comelec told him to do so.
But he said he had not received any notice from the agency as of Tuesday afternoon.
Lawyer Ted Pascua, secretary general of Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas party, said in a statement Tuesday: “The procedure is for the Comelec to issue a letter of warning. I am unaware of such a letter from the Comelec.”
“Bangon used to have a Bro. Eddie billboard in that area [Quiapo] but we took it down the first time the Comelec warned of billboards beyond the requisites allowed,” he said.
“There is therefore no Bro. Eddie campaign billboard in that area,” he added.
“Bangon will certainly comply with legal and valid requirements from the Comelec and trusts that the Comelec would uniformly and consistently enforce its rules and regulations,” he said.
He, however, pointed out that the Comelec hadn’t done anything about the “small posters nailed to trees, posts, etc., which also violate the rules on campaign materials. These small posters are more deleterious and violative of the law than one big one.”
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