With the local campaign kicking off, the Commission on Elections has vowed to crack down on illegal posters and other materials displayed in areas not designated for campaign purposes by the poll body. The Comelec had earlier announced it was tapping social media to encourage citizens to report illegal campaign activities. Since then the poll body has been criticized for its underwhelming response to complaints, and for alleged bias when it comes to illegal campaign activities attributed to administration candidates.
Another problem that requires decisive action is election violence, which is usually at its worst in local races. Too many politicians have gotten away with armed harassment of rivals and their supporters. Resorting to violence is the worst way of undermining a democratic vote. Every effort must be made to disabuse politicians from the belief that armed intimidation and murder are legitimate election tools. In a democracy, power is not supposed to emanate from the barrel of a gun.
With the official start of the campaign period for local races, the Comelec no longer has any excuse to go slow on complaints. In many parts of the country, walls, lampposts, vacant lots and even trees are now plastered with campaign materials. This is giving the impression that the Comelec is helpless in enforcing its own rules, which in turn encourages more violations.
If the Comelec responds quickly and effectively to complaints or alerts from concerned citizens, it will encourage more people to report violations and ensure the success of its campaign. If this happens, it will be a unique achievement of the Comelec under Sixto Brillantes. The Aquino administration should support the Comelec’s campaign. If this succeeds, it will be seen as an achievement as well of the administration that won on a platform of good governance and transparency. Good governance starts with a clean campaign. The administration has also called for the rule of law to prevail. This should include adherence to campaign rules.