Pasay illegal campaign posters scored

The Commission on Elections is investigating the proliferation of illegal campaign materials in Pasay City which have swamped the poll body's own campaign posters.

Comelec chairman Harriet Demetriou acted yesterday on reports that posters, streamers, and other campaign materials of candidates in Pasay's recall elections on April 15 are posted in non-Comelec-designated areas. Due to this, Demetriou said she created a task force to investigate the matter, an election offense.

As of presstime, the Comelec has yet to designate common poster areas for candidates, as provided by law.

She added that unless the materials are posted in the residences of candidates, in campaign headquarters or in the designated areas, the Comelec will tear down, confiscate and preserve the materials as evidence.

However, the Commission has yet to launch an information campaign regarding the recall election.

The 30-day information campaign designed to "saturate" all barangays is reportedly way behind schedule.

The multimedia campaign was supposed to start on March 15.

Comelec has allotted P15 million for the Pasay recall election.

The Comelec's Education and Information Department (EID) has proposed a budget of P748,230 for the activity.

In an interview, EID director Ma. Angelina Matibag said the budget, submitted March 14, has not yet been approved by the Commission en banc. The Omnibus Election Code states that 30 days before elections, an information campaign must be approved by the Commission en banc.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Teresita Flores said Pasay City mayoral recall elections will push through as long as no temporary restraining order (TRO) is issued by the Supreme Court.

So far, Flores said, they have not received any document from the Supreme Court ordering them to stop the recall elections.

"As of today, no TRO has been issued," Flores said yesterday.

The Pasay City mayoral recall elections will be contested by Mayor Jovito Claudio, Ricardo "Ding" Santos, Pewee Trinidad, and another candidate.

Santos, the former chief of security of former Pasay Mayor Pablo Cuneta, placed third during the 1998 mayoral elections.

Trinidad placed second. Claudio earlier filed a petition to stop the recall polls in the Supreme Court. -