Comelec Reminds Candidates of the Common Poster Area Rule

With the campaign period in full blast, the Commission on Elections reminded all candidates of the common poster area policy.

Comelec commissioner Grace Padaca, in her Twitter account, reminded all candidates running for national and local positions this May 13 of the Resolution No. 9615, which lays down the implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act that “Parties and independent candidates may, upon authority of the Commission, through the City or Municipal Election Officer (EO) concerned, erect, at their expense, common poster areas wherein they can post, display, or exhibit their election propaganda to announce or further their candidacy.”

Padaca said campaign posters should only be posted in private places like residences but only with the permission of the owner. Apart from that, she said under this Resolution, it is illegal to put campaign posters in tricycles, pedicabs, taxi, bus, jeepneys, trains, ferries, lamp posts, electric posts and wires, traffic signages, waiting shand government infrastructures such as overpass, flyover, center islands, highways and bridges.

She said under the Omnibus Election Code, an offender of this law can be meted with a one to six years imprisonment, disqualified to hold public office or disqualified to vote. The public, she said, can also help the Comelec report the violators to their office through Twitter by posting photos of the violation using the #SumbongKo hashtag.