Early campaign posters seized

Western Police District (WPD) operatives arrested 30 persons who were caught posting campaign materials along Rizal and Taft Avenues in Manila, yesterday even as the May 11 election campaign period has yet to formally start.

They were later charged for violating a Manila ordinance against littering and the earlier campaign posters were seized.

Members of the WPD District Mobile Patrol Support Unit under Chief Inspector Romulo Sapitula said the operation was in line with their "Oplan Dikit."

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza earlier ordered a ban on the posting of campaign materials on structures along the busy streets of Taft and Rizal Avenues to preserve a beautification project in the area.

"Actually, they (arrested persons) were lucky we only charged them for violation of an ordinance on littering," said Sapitula, noting that the penalty for violation of Commission on Election rules on illegal campaign posters carried a heavier fine.

Majority of those arrested, whose ages range 15 to 40 mostly males, are pasting campaign posters of former Philippine National Police chief Director General now senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson.

Those arrested were later released after being charged before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office.

There were posters, however, that were successfully posted on walls along Rizal Avenue and Taft Avenue. Other early senate campaigners, whose posters are now all over Metro Manila, are former Press Secretary Dong Puno and senatorial candidate Raffy Recto.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chair Crispin Beltran said that 14 student volunteers were arrested by the police upon the orders of Atienza.

Beltran said the arrest of young volunteers was a clear case of harassment and vendetta on the part of Atienza whom they included in the list of politicians to be boycotted in the coming May elections.

According to Beltran, they called on the public not to vote for Atienza because of his "repressive actions against labor strikes and for ordering the demolition of homes near the Sampaloc market."

Meanwhile, KMU lauded President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for junking broadcaster Noli de Castro in the administration’s senatorial slate.

Beltran said it was a good move undertaken by Arroyo because De Castro has proven himself to be a dependable ally of ousted President Estrada.

KMU has called on the public to boycott members of the Estrada party as well as their former supporters in the coming May 14 congressional and local polls. –Jose Aravilla and Mayen Jaymalin