3 weeks ago
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ILOILO CITY — Makabayan Panay has slammed the alleged deliberate tampering of its party-list campaign posters by Team Uswag, the local party of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
In a formal complaint filed with the Commission on Elections Western Visayas (Comelec-6) on Friday, the coalition said their posters — located at a designated common poster area at La Paz Plaza — were covered by new posters from Team Uswag, effectively obscuring their posters from public view.
The group claimed their posters for Bayan Muna, Gabriela, and ACT Teachers party-lists had been in place since Feb. 18.
They noted that the Comelec conducted clearing operations in the same area on Feb. 24 and Feb. 27 and removed fraudulent posters targeting Bayan Muna or those of the Kabataan Partylist lacking required disclaimers.
The three allegedly tampered posters, however, were not flagged for any violations by the Comelec, according to the group.
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"We highly value the efforts of our volunteers and the resources utilized in our campaign. As such, we always ensure compliance with campaign guidelines while respecting the rights of others," they said in their complaint.
Makabayan argued that the act violates Section 25 of Comelec Resolution 11086, which implements Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Election Act for the midterm elections.
The provision clearly states that during the campaign period, it is unlawful to "remove, destroy, take down, or in any manner deface, tamper with, or prevent the distribution of any lawful election propaganda."
Makabayan Panay urged Comelec-6 to take prompt action on the incident and expressed willingness to cooperate in any investigation.
"Should our posters be deemed outside the designated area, we are more than willing to relocate them accordingly," the group added.
As of writing, Comelec-6 and its Iloilo City office have yet to issue a response to the incident.
Meanwhile, Joy Fantilaga, spokesman for Treñas, clarified that the space in question is designated by the Comelec for the National Unity Party, of which Team Uswag is a local affiliate.
She urged Makabayan Panay to independently verify Team Uswag's claim with the Comelec-Iloilo City.
We encourage other political parties and organizations to refer to the official Comelec postings or coordinate directly with the agency to avoid misunderstandings, especially during this critical election period," she added.
