ILOILO City – Over 300 election campaign materials illegally displayed here have so far been removed, according to the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) of the city government.
Most of them were on electric posts and streetlights.
The campaign against these materials started on Feb.1, said PSTMO chief Jeck Conlu.
PSTMO’s Special Services Division led the removal and personnel of the city government’s Task Force on Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures (ASIS) helped.
The goal is to take down all illegally-displayed election campaign materials, said Conlu.
He appealed to the owners of these materials to help the PSTMO in the cleanup.
Citing Regulation Ordinance 2013-330 that regulates streamers and billboards in Iloilo City, Conlu said displaying election campaign materials and any kind of promotion posters on electrical posts, streetlights, waiting sheds and trees, among others, is prohibited.
The PSTMO plan to send reminders to election candidates, including copies of Regulation Ordinance 2013-330.
The ordinance covers streamers, billboards, posters, advertisements, notices, and buntings, which could be “any informational materials, any forms of announcement, may it be written or merely a picture, or may also be in the form of a banner, flag, ensign, or emblem causing for the public’s attention.”
“It shall be unlawful to install streamers, billboards, advertisements, notices, signboards, and any form of informational materials and the like along city streets, public places or at any place of business within the City of Iloilo without a permit issued by the License and Permits Division Office of the City Mayor’s Office,” Section 5 of the ordinance read.
Also, under Section 6, such materials must legibly show “the corresponding permit number, date of issuance and the name of the applicant as issued” by the License and Permits Division.
Violators may be fined P1,000 for every illegally installed streamer, billboard or advertisement, or imprisoned for two months, at the court’s discretion./PN
