ASEANEWS HEADLINE-Philippine Elections | MANILA: 36 party-list groups may be disqualified

Comelec issuing notices for violation of rules on campaign poster display

MANILA, Philippines — At least 36 party-list organizations may be barred from participating in the May 2025 midterm polls for violating rules on campaign posters.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said they are issuing notices to 36 party-list groups to remove their illegal campaign posters immediately.

“We ordered their campaign materials removed nationwide,” Garcia said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday. He said the 36 organizations failed to comply with regulations on the size of campaign posters and use of environment-friendly materials.

Garcia said some of the party-list groups also placed their campaign posters in prohibited areas.

Every day, Garcia said, the Comelec will issue notices to candidates, party-list groups and political parties found violating rules on campaign posters.

“We will issue notices to remove illegal campaign posters in three days. Otherwise we will file a disqualification case against them,” he said.

Violating rules on campaign posters is considered an election offense and thus violators may also be slapped with criminal cases.

Meanwhile, amid intensifying election-related violence, the Comelec said more areas in Mindanao are likely to be placed under the so-called red category.

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Garcia is set to meet on Monday with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil to discuss the reclassification to the red category of certain areas in Mindanao, where a spike in election-related violence has been reported.

“We observed areas in orange category that had a sudden spike of violence. It’s not that high, but security forces must be increased in those areas,” Garcia said.

“I think there will be an increase in classification. There are incidents of violence that we cannot overlook, even if there are no big people involved,” Garcia told reporters.

The poll chief, however, clarified that the rise in the number of election-related violence was only limited in Mindanao and not in the entire country.

An area is classified under the orange category for having a history of violence during elections, but since violence erupted recently, Garcia said the Comelec can re-classify it under the red category upon recommendation of the PNP.

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Garcia noted that Marbil just visited the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to assess the security situation in the region.

He also stressed the need to reclassify some parts of areas in Mindanao. Currently, there are 38 areas under the red category, most of which are in BARMM, he noted.

According to Garcia, the commission will not think twice about placing an area under Comelec control to ensure that voters will be able to safely cast their votes.

Other than the recent attack against Datu Piang Vice Mayor Omas Samama, Garcia said the commission has also received several incidents of election-related violence in Maguindanao that were not reported on national media.

Garcia further noted that those election-related incidents happened long before the start of the campaign period for local candidates. Local elections have traditionally been more violent than national.

The spike in election-related violence, Garcia said, was observed starting Feb 11. But he said cases of election-related violence this midterm polls are way lower compared to past elections.

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Still within limits

Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate and former Interior and secretary Benhur Abalos maintained that his campaign spending for the 2025 midterm elections is still within the limits set by law amid criticisms over his big billboards.

In a television interview, Abalos failed to provide a ballpark figure on how much he has spent for his senatorial bid.

“It is difficult to give a ballpark figure… But I assure you we’re within the limits of the law,” Abalos said, in reaction to observations of netizens that they see him more than their families because of his huge billboards dispersed across the metro.

He added that his campaign funds came from some friends, and thanked his supporters “for this act of volunteerism.”

“The good thing, (my billboards) contain different messages. Some (of the billboards) read an enemy of criminals, actions not talk… These are all volunteers from different areas. I just give them the designs, and they will do the (the billboards),” Abalos said.

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He said that he finally decided to resign as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government after the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

“I told the President, Sir, this is it, this is mission accomplished. Maybe, I already finished everything,” he said, noting that his fellow former officials discouraged him from leaving his post.

“Why will you resign? You’re just like a little president with DILG. (I told them) because it is still not enough, there is a need to pass the necessary laws,” Abalos added.

Abalos said he could also use the oversight power of the Senate to look into the failure of concerned agencies to implement the laws.

“The Senate has that broad power. If I am there (Senate), I can address all my frustrations. This is it,” he said. — Bella Cariaso