SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) —The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) La Union has noted a significant decrease in the number of illegal campaign materials collected following its removal operations on March 28.
According to the report, a total of 7,579 illegal campaign materials were collected as of February this year during the first Oplan Baklas operation, while only 2,999 were collected thereafter.
COMELEC attributes this decline to proactive measures, including issuing notices to local candidates urging them to voluntarily remove unlawfully placed materials.
Lawyer Alipio Alonzo Castillo III, COMELEC La Union election supervisor, emphasized the importance of maintaining clean and lawful campaign practices.
“Let’s keep our elections clean. It will definitely lead to a clean province of La Union,” Castillo said.
The “Oplan Baklas” initiative, carried out in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the La Union Electric Corporation Incorporated (LUECO), continues to focus on removing campaign materials from public spaces such as waiting sheds, electric posts, and trees along highways.
COMELEC La Union is working with accredited private sector partners to properly dispose of the collected campaign materials.
A recent Supreme Court ruling bars COMELEC from removing campaign materials on private property without consent, citing property rights and free expression.
Candidates and supporters are urged to follow campaign rules by placing materials only in designated areas and adhering to size limits.
According to COMELEC, there are no fines or penalties for candidates who repeatedly use illegal campaign materials.
The only consequence they face is the removal of these materials, which underscores the lack of stricter enforcement measures.
The collective effort aims to uphold fair election practices while keeping La Union clean and orderly during the election season. (CCMT/KJCR/ABN, PIA La Union)
