Comelec identifies areas for propaganda materials

The Commission on Elections has designated sports complexes and barangay halls in Cebu City as common poster areas where candidates for the May 14 elections could post their propaganda materials.

If a barangay does not have a sports complex or barangay hall, the candidates could post their propaganda materials in public markets, the Comelec added.

However, the posting of campaign posters of the candidates is allowed only from March 30 until the day of election. It is strictly prohibited on electric posts, bridges and flyovers.

The Cebu City north district and south district election offices yesterday released the list of common poster places in their respective areas. The north district has 46 barangays while the south district has 34.

But Cebu Ciy north district election officer Marchel Sarno said the candidates could also post their campaign posters at Plaza Independencia and Fuente Osmeña rotunda, the two major public plazas in the city.

In barangay San Antonio, the candidates are also allowed to post their campaign posters in a vacant lot or at the basketball court fronting the Santo Rosario Church while in barangay Parian, they could use the open space in front of the barangay hall.

Once posted in a common poster area, nobody is allowed to remove the campaign posters of certain candidates.

Although they will entertain any complaint about the posting of campaign materials in undesignated places, Sarno admitted that they lack the personnel to check on it.

But he explained that if campaign posters are placed in private places such as residences, the Comelec could not act on it. - Rene U. Borromeo/LPM