CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A multi-agency team on Tuesday, February 11, pulled out a truckload of political campaign materials of senatorial candidates and party-list groups that were displayed outside the designated common poster areas in this city. The 60-day campaign period for those seeking national posts officially started that day and would end on May 10, two days before the scheduled May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
MindanaoToday.com | TF removes misplaced propaganda materials
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A multi-agency team on Tuesday, February 11, pulled out a truckload of political campaign materials of senatorial candidates and party-list groups that were displayed outside the designated common poster areas in this city.
The 60-day campaign period for those seeking national posts officially started that day and would end on May 10, two days before the scheduled May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
Dubbed as Task Force Oplan Baklas (Operation Plan Teardown), the Commission on Election-steered team kicked off the activity early morning at the Iligan-Cagayan de Oro-Butuan national highway starting from Carmen-Kauswagan junction, through Bulua, and to Iponan.
Nestor Banuag Jr., local chairman of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said that the campaign materials of those who filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for local elective posts—for mayor, vice-mayor, and city councilors—were left untouched even if these were improperly mounted.
This was so because the 45-day campaign period for local candidates officially starts on March 28, this year.
The team from TF Oplan Baklas was mainly composed of Department of Public Works and Highway’s repair and maintenance personnel, making sure electric posts and trees are free from political posters often made of tarpaulin or polyethylene materials.
Armen Cuenca, head of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), said earlier that mounting of posters on trees, usually with use of tacks, is prohibited under the City Codified Ordinance.
As early as October last year, CLENRO personnel cleared the trees political materials, including merchandizing stuffs, along Father William Masterson Road in the uptown area of this city.
Section 9 of the Fair Elections Act, otherwise known as Republic Act No. 9006, provides that common poster areas must be designated in every barangay. It also prescribes 2 feet x 3 feet as the standard size of posters that will be used.
Cagayan de Oro has 101 designated common poster areas: 45 in the first congressional district, and 56 the second congressional district which are geographically bordered by the Cagayan de Oro River. These are situated near the barangay hall (building), basketball courts, plaza, jeepney terminals, entrances of subdivisions, and near waiting sheds.
Lawyers Joel Dexter Nagtalon and Ramil Acol are the city election officers of the first and second districts, respectively. [Uriel Quilinguing/MT]
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