The camps of presidential contenders Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino and former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada have agreed to take the lead in dismantling their oversized campaign posters, yielding to the rules set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“Of course, I will take them (oversized campaign posters) down as long as they are in violation of Comelec rules. They (Comelec) just have to identify and I will have my people dismantle them,” Estrada told reporters in Gen. Santos City Sunday.

In a statement issued also Sunday, the Liberal Party (LP) asked Sunday its supporters to abide by the imposed guidelines on the size and area designations of campaign paraphernalia.

LP campaign manager and former Education Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad appealed to supporters of Senators Aquino and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, and the rest of the senatorial candidates to be mindful of campaign guidelines prescribed under the Fair Elections Law.

Comelec Resolution No. 8758 (The Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act. No. 9006 or the “Fair Election Practices Act”) allows the posting of campaign posters, billboards, and tarpaulins only in common areas identified by the poll body.

The common poster areas will be located in places being frequented by the public, such as plazas, markets, barangay centers and the like, where posters may be readily seen or read.
Estrada, who ranked the least among the presidential candidates who spent the greatest money during the first month of the campaign in a report in February, however implied that Comelec cannot disqualify him over the alleged display of oversized campaign posters.

He said all presidential candidates might as well be disqualified since the top six presidential candidates including Bangon Pilipinas presidential bet Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Bagumbayan standard bearer Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon allegedly committed the same thing.

"It's not that I am defending all the presidentiables but what usually happens is that local leaders who support us are the ones who display oversized posters up without our permission," he explained.

"They should criticize us (candidates) if the posters came from our headquarters," he added.
Estrada also called on the Comelec to conduct a extensive investigation on the matter as he described that rivals of candidates, who are being accused of displaying oversized posters, are most of the times responsible for the violation.

"That's what my enemies will do to have me disqualified. They will make big posters, this can happen," he said.

For his part, Abad said the support for LP candidates has reached unprecedented levels with supporters producing their own posters and other paraphernalia as contributions to boost the People’s Campaign of the Aquino-Roxas tandem.

“While we are extremely grateful for the continuing outpour of support, we’d like to remind our volunteers and allies to always abide by the rules set by the Comelec on proper poster sizes and areas, to avoid any untoward incident,” said Abad.

PMP senatorial reelectionist Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada added that candidates vying for the highest position in the national elections cannot control all of its followers and avid supporters.

Estrada, Villanueva, and Gordon have been accused of campaigning using oversized posters just like presidential bets, Aquino III, and Nacionalista Party (NP) standard bearer Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar.
Estrada's posters were observed to be missing in Cotabato, where most members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reside.

Normal-sized posters of Estrada have obviously been stripped down to remove the former president's face and name particularly along the streets coming from Cotabato City in North Cotabato going to General Santos City in South Cotabato.

The former president became unpopular with the MILF rebels in the region when Estrada declared an all-out war against them in 2000, resulting in the alleged killing of many Muslim rebels as well as overrunning of their major camps in Mindanao.

EPD TO GO AFTER POSTING VIOLATORS

The Eastern Police District (EPD) warned Sunday that its personnel have marching orders to go after supporters of political candidates who will be caught posting campaign materials outside designated common poster areas.

Inspector Jovie Iquin, chief of the EPD Public Information Office, said the EPD will use the full force of the law against violators.

He said the EPD is intensifying its campaign against violators of the “Fair Election Practices Act.”
Iquin said under the ruling, candidates or their supporters are only allowed to post campaign posters, billboards, and tarpaulins in common areas identified by the poll body.

“Those who will be found violating the law will be questioned and if evidence warrants, corresponding cases will be filed against them,” Iquin told the Manila Bulletin.

“Once the campaign period for local candidates officially starts later this month, the EPD will also go on full blast not only in providing security but also to go after those who will violate the Comelec resolution. We will see to it that they (candidates and supporters) will follow the law and post campaign materials at the designated areas set by the Comelec,” she added. (Francis T. Wakefield)