The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is calling on local candidates in Negros Oriental to take down their illegal campaign materials or face disqualification in the May 12 elections.

Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the regional election director of Comelec-Negros Island Region (NIR), said yesterday the candidates have around two weeks to take the materials down before the campaign period for local bets starts on March 28.

“We have already calendared Oplan Baklas operations on that day and local candidates found to be violating the prohibitions on campaigning will be at risk of disqualification,” Castillano said.

He lamented that local and national candidates continuously ignore the law by having their posters and other campaign materials posted or erected illegally.

Since under the law a candidate becomes liable for election offenses only upon the start of the designated campaign period, Castillano said, local candidates can still get away with illegal campaign materials.

National candidates, on the other hand, can already be charged for violating the Omnibus Election Code since their campaign period started on February 11, he added.

Castillano said they regularly report to the central office the names of candidates whose campaign materials are found outside designated areas.

He said it is difficult for the Comelec to regularly take down illegal campaign materials as they are now swamped with tasks in preparation for the May 12 midterm elections.

“The only way to deal with this perennial problem is to send notices to the candidates warning them of the violations and of possible sanctions for repeated offenses,” he said.

Castillano did not identify any candidates but pointed out they have already made their recommendation against a number of them to the central office. (PNA)