Opposition Senate bets tell supporters to follow rules on posters

Some senatorial candidates have urged their volunteers and supporters to place their campaign posters and materials in the proper posting areas and following the guidelines of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

They made the remarks after their names were included in the list of Senate bets whom the Comelec had found to have illegal campaign posters.

In an ambush interview on Tuesday, senatorial candidate Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV said he already advised his volunteers to post his campaign posters only in allowed areas.

"Pinagsabihan na rin namin, nag-send na rin kami ng request sa mga volunteers na lahat ng magkakabit, pakikabit lang sa mga tamang lugar," Aquino told reporters at the inauguration of his volunteer center in Quezon City.

"Syempre marami tayong volunteers na masigasig, sometimes nagkakabit po sila sa hindi tamang lugar. Kaya nananawagan po kami sa lahat po ng volunteers ho natin, please pakilagay lang po sa tamang lugar," he added.

Forty senatorial candidates across party lines are included in the list of those with illegal campaign posters tweeted by Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guazon.

Under Comelec Resolution 10488, which serves as implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act, parties and candidates are only allowed to mount their campaign posters in authorized common poster areas.

Posters and tarpaulins of political parties and party-list groups should only measure 12 feet by 16 feet or its equivalent, while posters of independent candidates should be within four feet by six feet or its equivalent.

For his part, senatorial bet Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano said his camp has never been notified about violations of campaign rules.

He added that since his campaign team is short on resources and could not afford to print posters bigger than what the Comelec allows, it is possible that his supporters voluntarily put them up.

"If they happen to unintentionally or unknowingly violated this campaign rule, Comelec — or other concerned citizens — should notify us so that we will ask them to take the posters down. We are more than willing to abide by this campaign rule," Alejano said.

Alejano also urged his fellow candidates to follow election and campaign rules, especially that they are running to become lawmakers.

"I see these regulations as beneficial for every candidate because they provide equal opportunities for candidates to be known by the electorate. The public can also count on us," he said.

The camp of former Bayan Muna party-list Representative and senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares also finds it "ironic" that his name is in the list, considering that according to them, he may have the "least" campaign materials of all leading candidates.

"Maybe Comelec should look first at the giant billboards and tarps of the administration-backed candidates who have been blatantly violating the rules all these months," said Colmenares' campaign manager Teddy Casiño, who also served as representative of the Bayan Muna party-list.

"Our instructions were clear to our supporters: post only in designated poster areas. Given Neri's limited resources, it is to his interest that posters be confined to poster areas as we cant afford a poster war," Casiño added.

Nevertheless, Casiño said they would look into the matter and check with their camp if any election and campaign guideline has indeed been violated. —NB, GMA News