COMELEC Naga Election Supervisor Atty. Maico Julia, said on Wednesday, that candidates’ posters which are over-sized, nailed on electric posts, trees, government offices and buildings shall be removed. This encourages political parties and their supporters to place campaign materials in designated public spaces while preserving and sparing trees.

Astor said that posting campaign materials on trees inflicts damages and/or injuries to the tree which compromises its structural integrity and overall health.

“Nailing or tacking materials to a tree, though it may seem immaterial, is actually a wound-inflicting activity that exposes trees to decay-causing fungi and other pathogens. Certain fungi and pathogens may cause serious harm to the trees and result in defects such as rotting, cracks, and poor tree form,” he said.

Accordingly, Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 953 prohibits the unauthorized cutting, destruction, damaging and injuring trees, plants and vegetation in public places. Any person who violates the provisions of Section 3 of this law shall be imprisoned for six months to two years, and can be fined from P500 to P5,000, or both at the discretion of the court.

Further, the PENRO has appealed to the public to “Reuse what can be reused and recycle what can be recycle to persistently work on minimizing waste progressively shift to using environmentally-responsible citizens.” (PIA5/Camarines Sur)

Authority personnel conducted Operations Baklas on April 28, 2022, photos filed by DENR Bicol Facebook Page

NAGA CITY, (PIA) -- Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Head in Camarines Sur Ronnel Astor, has made an appeal to the public to go the extra mile in ensuring that waste materials are appropriately disposed of in their designated receptacles.

At present, campaign posters and various promotional materials can be seen adorning streets and residences, as the official election campaign period for the BSKE 2023 scheduled for October 30 officially commenced on Thursday, October 19.  

He added, “It cannot be denied that there is a concerning amount of solid waste and single-used plastics generated during the election campaign period.”

He called on every candidate to hold each other accountable and to be diligent in practicing solid waste management.

On the other hand, the taskforce on Operation Baklas headed by the Commission on Election (COMELEC) continue to monitor  every barangay. A directive to strip off illegal posters based on its size and placement areas, as against the election guidelines were also made clear to them. Other government offices such as the DENR, Philippine National Police and the Department of Works and Highway co-work with the COMELEC to strictly enforce the prohibition of posting election ads on trees and the implementation of a zero-waste system election system.