Rep. Martinez among bets facing DQ case over ‘illegal’ campaign posters

Metro Manila, Philippines - A Commission on Elections (Comelec) task force has filed petitions to disqualify a senatorial candidate and more than 20 others for allegedly refusing to remove illegal campaign materials flagged by the poll body.

During the Kapihan sa Senado media forum on Wednesday, May 7, Comelec Chairman George Garcia identified the senatorial candidate as Valenzuela Rep. Eric Martinez.

Martinez is the only senatorial candidate included in the list of people facing disqualification petitions following the first wave of filings by Task Force Baklas on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the campaign period, the task force has monitored illegal campaign materials - such as those posted in unauthorized public spaces or those that are oversized or not environment-friendly.

“Bagamat nakatanggap sila at officially tinanggap at na-acknowledge yung pagtanggap ng mga notices to remove na ito, hindi pa rin kasi natanggal yung mga pinaglagyan na lugar na na bawal, public places kasi,” Garcia said.

“Therefore napilitan na ang task force na magfile ng kaso,” he added.

[Translation: Although they received and officially acknowledged the notices to remove these materials, the campaign items were still not taken down from prohibited areas, particularly public spaces. Therefore, the task force was compelled to file a case.]

Asked for comment, Martinez told NewsWatch Plus that his office is coordinating with the poll body to ensure compliance with its regulations.

“I acknowledge the concerns raised by the Comelec Task Force Baklas, and I want to assure the public that my team is currently reviewing the matter and coordinating closely with the Commission on Elections to clarify and address any issues,” he said.

The poll body is also cracking down on candidates involved in vote buying and violations of anti-discrimination and fair campaigning guidelines, with several show-cause orders and disqualification cases already filed.