OPERATION BAKLAS. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Koronadal City started removing illegal campaign posters in its 27 barangays on Tuesday (Feb. 15, 2022). Lawyer Maleiha Usman (left), the Comelec-Koronadal chief, said the campaign posters of national candidates are their concern, for now, as their campaign period commenced on February 8. (Photo courtesy of Koronadal LGU)
KORONADAL CITY – The Task Force Baklas of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) started removing illegal campaign materials here on Tuesday.
Lawyer Maleiha Usman, city election officer, said they started the operation after giving notice to the national candidates recently.
“I think even the local candidates have copies of the notice informing them of their supposed compliance to Comelec Resolution No.10730, the rules and regulations in implementing our fair election act,” Usman said.
For now, the focus of the city election office are the campaign posters of the national candidates because their campaign period started on February 8.
“Our local candidates are not yet covered because technically their campaign period has not yet started and their being candidates per se,” Usman said.
She said the Task Force Baklas has for its partners the Department of the Interior and Local Government; City Environment and Natural Resources Office; Philippine National Police; and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
All the agencies conveyed together with Comelec – Koronadal to pursue the activation of the task force as mandated under the Comelec resolution.
“We have agreed to divide the group and come up with a clustering system, there are designated barangays in each cluster, this morning we send off our team for operation,” Usman said.
Koronadal City is composed of 27 barangays.
Usman said the city Comelec office is expecting to finish taking down illegal posters ahead of time.
“Originally the task force planned to conduct ‘Operation Baklas’ for one week because we anticipated the bulk of posters but then I was just updated by the team that our roads and even the trees were cleaned by unlawful election propaganda,” Usman said.
Usman also reminded the candidates of the size of the campaign posters as not to exceed two by three feet.
Candidates can also place campaign posters at private properties provided subjected to allowable size and with the consent of the owner, she said.
“As the local candidates’ campaign period starts on March 25, we will pursue another ‘Operation Baklas’ for that purpose,” she said. (PNA)
