Comelec must be summoned for removal of campaign posters in private property —Abella

The Commission on Elections should be called out if they take down posters in private properties, Presidential aspirant Ernesto Abella said Thursday.

At the Pandesal Forum, Abella said the Comelec might be “over-enthusiastic” with its action.

“I believe kung nasa private property dapat hindi ginagalaw. Hindi ko in–o-oppose pero kung puwede, in my opinion, e bahay ko to e, ‘di ba? (I believe if it’s on private property it should not be moved. I am not opposing it but in my opinion, this is my house, right?)

“Baka over-enthusiastic lang sila. Pero dapat they should be called out kapag ginawa nila yun (Maybe they are just over-enthusiastic. But they should be called out if they do that),” he added.

On Wednesday, several organizations called on the Comelec to stop taking down and confiscating election campaign posters in private properties,  saying it is "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional."

The Women Lawyers for Leni, Lawyers Against Disinformation, Filipino American Human Rights Alliance, Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan, and Now You Vote said the removal of these materials “crushes the spirit of volunteers.”

"We implore the honorable Commission on Elections to order its election officers and employees to cease and desist from illegally removing and confiscating campaign materials and paraphernalia owned, posted, and installed by private citizens and volunteers in their private property, such as those installed in volunteers' headquarters," the groups said in a statement. —LBG, GMA News