Campaign posters

There was once an old, blind beggar on a busy intersection in the metro. On a cardboard sign, he wrote: “Blind. Please help.” But nothing in the presentation of himself set a hook on any passing citizen.

Later, a young advertising copywriter walked past the blind man. He noticed the empty hat and the sign. Not a single person was moved by his message, let alone to drop money into the hat.

The copywriter took the cardboard, flipped it, wrote another message, and left.

In no time, people dropped money into the hat, and soon help overflowed.

The blind man asked a stranger what the cardboard sign said.

“It says,” said the stranger, “It’s a beautiful day. You can see it. I cannot.”

Meanwhile in our part of the world, your large billboards of steaming fastfood siopao finds competition in the form of humongous campaign posters of your beloved candidates. Every now and then, motorists confuse one over the other.

This obsession for large-format campaign posters comes from the delusion that prominence necessarily translates into votes. The magnification, for all you know, probably turns voters off—some bets simply don’t come across

as a cute mascot.

It’s the message, Mr. Candidate. The wit, the quip, the trick that even the most intense Photoshopping simply couldn’t perform.

The Commission on Elections will launch a joint operation to remove the illegal campaign materials sprawled all over the city and province.

Cebu City South District Election Office Marchel Sarno said the poll body’s staff launched “Operation Baklas” Monday, April 8.

A second phase will follow with the help of the other agencies: the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police and the Department of Education. That’s quite an army of strippers, and we hope these eyesores will soon be banished from the face of the earth.

Note that the Comelec had identified common poster areas: near barangay halls, public market, sports complex or basketball courts. Candidates may put campaign materials on private properties provided they have the owners’ consent.

The Visayan Electric Co. has also started removing campaign posters from the company’s posts. You want power? Keep off the power posts.