THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday flagged 34 party-list organizations running in the May 2025 polls for violating its guidelines on campaign materials as it warned they could be disqualified if they do not immediately take down the posters.
Elections chairman George Garcia said the groups’ campaign posters have the wrong sizes, are not environment-friendly, and are posted in the wrong places.
Garcia identified the party-list organizations as Trabaho, ACT-CIS, Solid North Party, Dumper PTDA, APEC, Manila Teachers, BH – Bagong Henerasyon, 1Agila, Asenso Pinoy, 4K, Agri, Gabay, Philreca, A Teacher, Laang Kawal, TGP, and Tingog.
Also included in the list are 1Pacman, Apat Dapat, Batang Quiapo, Magdalo, Nanay, Pamilya Ko, PPP, United Frontliners, Uswag Ilonggo, Ang Probinsiyano, Abang Lingkod, LPGMA, OFW, Kalinga, KM Ngayon Na, Pinoy PM, and Pinoy Workers.
Garcia said notices will be sent to the groups ordering them to take down their campaign materials within three days of receipt of the order.
“We will be coming out with notices for 34 party-list organizations. We are asking them to remove their campaign materials,” he said in a media forum.
He warned groups that will not comply with the Comelec order to remove their illegal campaign posters face disqualification.
“The notice is to remove these campaign materials within three days. Otherwise, we will file disqualification cases against them,” he said.
The campaign period for senatorial candidates and party-list organizations is from February 11 to May 10, 2025.
AREAS OF CONCERN
Meanwhile, just two weeks since the start of the campaign period, Garcia said they expect the number of areas placed under the “red” category to increase as Election Day draws closer.
“We noticed that areas under the ‘orange’ category are seeing recent spike in violence since the start of the campaign period. With the recent spike in election-related violence, they are likely to be put under the red category,” he said,
Under the Comelec’s classification, “green” areas are places with no security concerns or are relatively peaceful and orderly.
Considered as “yellow” areas are those with the occurrence of suspected election-related incidents in the last two elections, existence of intense partisan political rivalry, possible employment of partisan armed groups by candidates in the area, occurrence of politically motivated incidents in the current election period, or the area has been previously declared under Comelec Control.
Classified as under “orange” category are those with a combination of two or more factors under Category Yellow, or areas where there are serious armed threats posed by communist terrorist groups and other analogous threat groups declared by competent authorities.
For the “red” category, the Comelec said these are areas with one or more factors described under Category Yellow, together with serious armed threats posed by communist terrorist groups and other analogous threat groups declared by competent authorities under Category Orange, or areas that other government agencies have requested to be placed under Comelec control.
Based on the initial list released by the Comelec in January 2025, there are 38 areas under the red category, 177 areas under orange, 188 areas under yellow, and 1,239 areas under green.
Garcia said the concern is mostly in Maguindanao del Sur and Cotabato City.
“It is not being reported but there have been recent cases also of barangay officials and candidates being killed or assaulted,” he said.
He also cited the shooting incident involving Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur Vice Mayor Omar Samama.
Garcia attributed the surge in election-related violence to the proximity of Election Day.
“It’s already clear who are the candidates, who has a strong chance of winning… This usually cause election-related violence,” he said.
He said the Comelec and PNP are set to meet regarding the updating of the risk classification of areas.
