Comelec-Negros Or to take down illegal campaign materials

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  â€“ The Comelec in Negros Oriental will undertake a local initiative of removing election campaign materials posted outside of officially-designated poster areas.

Jerome Brillantes, assistant provincial election supervisor and concurrent election officer of this city, however, admitted that it would be difficult for his office to monitor and control the widespread putting up of illegal posters and campaign materials at this time due to other pressing matters on hand.

Brillantes said Comelec provincial office has its hand full with the ongoing training of teachers who will comprise the Board of Election Inspectors in the May 13 mid-term polls.

More than half of the estimated 2,000 teachers, as of latest count, have already underwent training, which reeled off last March 11 and to run until March 31, he said.

After the BEI training, the Comelec will immediately carry out the training for technicians to operate the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the elections, said Brillantes.

Some 600 PCOS technicians, who will undergo the two- to three-day training next week, were identified by the different election officers in the towns and cities of Negros Oriental, with a minimum requirement of having basic knowledge on computer skills and passing the Comelec recruitment exam, he said.

Brillantes assured that, once their schedules allow it, the different election officers will initiate the removal of illegal campaign materials in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the reshuffling of new election officers in the province took effect last Wednesday, with the six cities in the province each has a lawyer assigned as election officer.

They are Brillantes himself for Dumaguete, Ian Macaraya (Bayawan), Gerald Cornelia (Bais), Rafael Orillana (Guihulngan), Andre Villasis (Canlaon) and Bong Villares, who was taken from Bohol, for the Tanjay City assignment. (FREEMAN)