The Commission on Elections will kick off the local campaign period with a synchronized nationwide Grand Baklas Operation on Friday, March 28, Regional Director Lionel Marco Castillano of the COMELEC Negros Island Region said on Tuesday.
The campaign period for candidates for member of the House of Representatives, and provincial, city and municipal posts will start Friday until May 10, excluding April 17 (Maundy Thursday) and April 18 (Good Friday).
Tarpaulins, posters, banners and all illegal campaign materials posted by local and national candidates will be removed during the “Grand Baklas Operation”, Castillano said.
Castillano said they already received an order from Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia for all towns and cities to conduct Oplan Baklas operations.
Campaign materials are not allowed on poles, trees, and government structures. Campaign materials in any size in private properties cannot be touched by the COMELEC as long as they have the permission of the owner, he said.
Castillano also called on barangay officials to remove campaign materials placed in barangay halls even before Friday.
Barangay captains who allow this can be held accountable and charged with committing an election offense, which carries the penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, he said.
Castillano also reminded incumbent officials who are running for re-election that they cannot use government resources such as vehicles or funds for their campaigns, which constitutes abuse of state resources.
Prohibited during the local campaign period are:
*Appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new positions, filling of new positions in a government office, agency, or instrumentality, whether national or local, including government-owned or controlled corporations, except upon prior authority of the Commission;
*Promotion or giving of salary increases, remuneration, or privileges to any government official or employee, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations;
*Release, disbursement or expenditures of public funds, except those enumerated in Section 261 (v) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC); and
*Construction of public works, delivery of materials for public works except for projects or works exempted in Section 261 (v) of the OEC, and issuance of treasury warrants or similar devices.
Incumbent government officials cannot use government funds to promote their candidacies, Castillano stressed.
The Department of Education has also issued a memorandum prohibiting electioneering and partisan political activity during end of school year rites.*