AT least 30 candidates, including one senatorial bet, are facing disqualification charges due to alleged illegal campaign materials.
In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the Task Force Baklas was expected to file the charges against as many as 35 candidates yesterday.
“Around 30 to 35 individuals will be charged by the Task Force Baklas. If I’m not mistaken, it includes one senatorial candidate,” Garcia said.
He said the candidates “didn’t remove their campaign materials as ordered by the Task Force. Despite several notices, they opted to disregard them.”
As of press time, only the disqualification complaint against independent senatorial candidate Eric Martinez has been filed.
Garcia did not provide the names of the other candidates involved.
The Comelec has been closely monitoring oversized, misplaced, and non-environment-friendly campaign materials of national and local candidates.
The Comelec has issued Comelec Resolution No. 11086 laying down the guidelines on campaign materials.
The resolution prohibits the posting of campaign materials in public structures or places, such as LED display boards located along highways and streets which are owned by local government units, government-owned and controlled corporations, or any agency or instrumentality of government.
Campaign materials are also prohibited to be placed in motor vehicles used as patrol cars, ambulances, and for other similar purposes that are owned by local government units, government-owned and controlled corporations, and other agencies and instrumentalities of the government.
Campaign materials are also prohibited in public transport vehicles owned and controlled by the government, such as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), and Philippine National Railway trains.
The Comelec said propaganda materials are also prohibited in waiting sheds, sidewalks, street and lamp posts, electric posts and wires, traffic signages, and other signboards erected on public property, pedestrian overpasses and underpasses, flyovers and underpasses, bridges, main thoroughfares, and center islands of roads and highways.
It is also illegal to place campaign materials in schools, public shrines, barangay halls, government offices, health centers, public structures and buildings or any edifice thereof.
The poll body also prohibited campaign materials in areas within the premises of public transport terminals that are owned and controlled by the government, such as bus terminals, airports, seaports, docks, piers, and train stations.
SHOW CAUSE ORDERS
In a related development, three more local candidates have been issued show cause orders (SCOs) for making discriminatory remarks during the campaign period.
In separate SCOs, the Task Force SAFE sought explanations from Caloocan City (2nd District) congressional candidate Edgar Erice, Nueva Ecija (5th District) congressional bet Mario Salvador, and Barbaza (Antique) mayoral candidate Faith Francisco.
In the case of Erice, the Task Force said he could be liable for committing gender-based harassment and discrimination against women.
“Provocative eh. Kung artista siya okay yan. Kung performing artist siya, dancer siya, okay yan. Kung nakalabas ang cleavage mo, naka shorts ka tapos provocative dance tapos nakalabas yung dila mo, maraming videos ang nakalabas ang dila niya. She is not just representing herself. She is representing two hundred thousand voters of Caloocan,” Erice said as quoted by the Commission.
As for the case of Salvador, the poll body said he may have committed discrimination and public ridicule of persons with disability.
“Yung mukhang masaya ka kasi nakikita mo na masaya ang mayor mo. Hindi yung mukhang high-blood, hindi yung mukhang high-blood, ano po. Tapos kapag nakita mo, paglapit ni Mayor Ali ang bango-bango, hindi jung lalapit palang ay punas na ng punas ng, ano ba yung pinupunasan sa mukha, pawis kaya o mantika, ano po,” said Salvador as quoted by the Task Force.
The case of Francisco, on the other hand, is seen as a possible act of gender-based harassment.
“Who do these pieces of dog shit think themselves to be?” posted Francisco on social media in response to the posts of Sassa Gurl and Pipay, who are social media personalities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
On the other hand, Comelec – Committee on Kontra Bigay also issued SCOs to four candidates in Laguna and Marikina City for allegedly committing vote buying and/or abuse of state resources (ASR).
In separate SCOs, Marikina City (1st District) congressional candidate Marcy Teodoro and his wife, Marikina City mayoral bet Maan Teodoro were both asked to explain their acts of giving away government assistance, either through a DSWD financial assistance program or a Medical Assistance Program, wherein payouts of P2,000.00 or claim stubs for the said amounts were distributed to attendees while urging them to vote for the Teodoro couple in the upcoming elections.
“On several occasions, you (Maan) were reportedly present delivering a speech and campaigning for yourself and your husband; whilst in others, your identified supporters wearing your colors and t-shirts were seen distributing said payouts or stubs,” said the Comelec.
The Comelec panel also asked Laguna (2nd District) congressional bet Ramil Hernandez and his wife, Laguna gubernatorial candidate Ruth Hernandez to explain why their campaign leaders allegedly instructed several persons to proceed to a certain office where health cards and yellow papers were distributed with barcodes upon which they will receive P2,000.
“On other dates, cards with corresponding QR codes and a yellow or blue paper were distributed with the instruction that they will be picked up by buses to be transported to various locations for distribution of cash and food in exchange for votes,” said the Comelec.
Vote buying and abuse of state resources are considered as election offenses.
