News
Remove illegal posters before campaign starts, local bets told

ILLEGAL POSTS. Political campaign posters hang from electric posts at the corner of Dapitan and Ma.
Cristina Streets in Sampaloc, Manila on Monday (March 24, 2025). As the campaign period for local candidates starts March 28, the Commission on Elections reminded anew of the rules on common poster areas to avoid infractions. (PNA photo by Ben Briones)
By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded local aspirants Tuesday to start taking down their illegal campaign materials, three days before the start of their 45-day campaign period.
“Come March 28, be it national or local candidates, we will already have jurisdiction to remove their campaign materials. Our advice: take them down now,” Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in an interview.
The poll body chief warned that non-compliance would have repercussions.
“Otherwise, we will take them down immediately and, later on, we will just issue show cause after show cause to compel you to take them down,” Garcia said.
Among prohibited campaign materials are misplaced or not placed on designated campaign poster areas, oversized, or non-environment-friendly materials.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 11086, all prohibited forms of election propaganda shall be immediately removed, or caused to be removed, by the candidate or party “at least 72 hours” before the start of the campaign period.
At the same time, Garcia reminded campaign teams of candidates to be respectful in conducting their campaign activities, particularly in placing posters and tarpaulins properly.
“If the area already has a campaign poster of another candidate, let us respect that. Don’t put yours on top of it. We can avoid having these conflicts if we have respect for one another,” said Garcia.
The campaign period for local candidates is until May 10.
