Brillantes warns party-list: Take down illegal posters or face disqualification

MANILA, Philippines – Follow the rules or risk disqualification. 

As if the party-list purge was not enough, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr on Tuesday, February 12 issued a stern warning to party-list groups that fail to follow campaign rules. 

Party-list grps shud be careful. Violation of campaign rules NOT only an ELECTION OFFENSE but a GROUND FOR CANCELLATION of REG per RA7941.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 12, 2013

COMELEC is ready launch a new wave of cancellation of party-list groups, despite printing of ballots, if prompted by their illegal posters.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 12, 2013

The tweets were posted after Brillantes received a number of reports from social media users who spotted party-list campaign posters and streamers which were outside designated areas. 

A total of 79 party-list groups are running in the May elections but there are 123 groups listed on the official ballot after those disqualified earlier by the Comelec managed to get a Supreme Court order forcing their inclusion in the ballots pending their appeals. 

Here are some of the violations reported to @ChairBrillantes and @Comelec:

Oh eto… Pumaparaan ang #BayanMuna sa R. Papa sa Maynila… Bandila! #SumbongMo @comelec @chairbrillantes lockerz.com/s/282857242

— JM Melegrito (@JMmelegrito) February 12, 2013

Hindi na nahiya talaga itong si Kong Arnel Ty! @chairbrillantes @jabjimenez @comelec #SumbongMo #votervigilanceyfrog.com/nypctwoj

— Kira Yamato Mendoza (@knightkira) February 12, 2013

That’s inside the pup campus (was only able to take one pic) #sumbongmo @comelec @jabjimenez twitter.com/richard24/stat…

— Richard Aquino Renes (@richard24) February 12, 2013

Comelec Resolution 9615 states that candidates may only post their campaign paraphernalia in common poster areas within a specified time period. 

–Rappler.com/with reports from Angela Casauay