By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—Election campaign
paraphernalia nailed on trees and posted on non-designated campaign poster
areas such as along national road is a no-no in the province of Ilocos Norte.
To maintain its cleanliness,
the Operation Baklas taskforce composed mainly of the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Commission on Elections, Department of Public Works and
Highways and other various private and non-government organizations organized
its first wave of operation on the first week of April to remove all forms of
advertisement and election-related materials which are illegally posted from
the Badoc highway all the way Pagudpud, the northern most part of the province.
From 46 kilos of nails
removed from live trees and at least three truckloads of campaign posters
collected in 2007 since the “Sagip Puno, Tanggal Pako” project was launched in the province, provincial
environment and natural resources officer Juan Delos Reyes hopes it will
significantly decrease this year, now that more and more people are aware of
this green advocacy initiated by a multi-sectoral group eight years ago.
Every election period, the
group reactivates said task force to intensify campaign against
illegally-posted election materials particularly those situated on approaches
of bridges and right of way of national roads.
With at least 66 maintenance
workers from the DPWH with dump truck and boom heights to assist them, the
COMELEC has deputized them to remove these campaign ads obstructing the view of
the national road. Meanwhile, the DENR personnel and some volunteers will also
be removing posters or whatever advertisements nailed on trees.
In time for the April 22
Earth Day celebration, the task force will again resume the second trans of
their operation, following the same route.
In 2010, the group has
already called the attention of all violators to refrain from posting on
non-designated common poster areas.
“We appeal to our candidates
to post their campaign ads only in identified common poster areas and don’t wait
for a case to be filed against them,” said Mr.
Delos Reyes in a press conference.
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