DILG urged to penalize LGUs that fail to remove campaign posters

Concerned groups appealed to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday, May 19, to immediately impose stiff sanctions against local government units (LGUs) that fail to remove the campaign materials used in the May 9 national and local elections.

With the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announcing the start of the rainy season, environmental groups warned that the campaign material discards may cause heavy flooding.

As of May 16, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that 470 tons of May 9 election campaign materials were collected in the National Capital Region (NCR).

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III earlier urged the public to report the LGUs that fail to pull down the campaign materials that are still posted in their localities days after the May 9 polls had passed.

He noted that the LGUs that fail to remove all campaign materials in their areas will be issued notices from the department.

Citing a Supreme Court order, Densing explained that they cannot remove campaign materials that are installed, attached or posted in private properties.

On May 11, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año stressed that winning and losing candidates in the May 9 elections and the local government units (LGUs) must remove the campaign materials properly within three days.

He also prodded the use of barangay and LGU material recovery facilities (MRF) to collect and restore reusable materials as well as in coming up with innovative and safe strategies to recycle or upcycle reusable campaign waste materials.