Clean up your own mess

The voting is over, but the streets are still littered with campaign materials. Some two tons of campaign materials have been collected in Metro Manila alone, with many more still pasted on walls and lampposts or hanging from trees and power lines.

Candidates and their supporters must be held responsible for cleaning up their own mess. Where possible, the Commission on Elections must penalize those who posted campaign materials in unauthorized spots, particularly trees.

The garbage collection and disposal must incorporate recycling. Campaign tarpaulins can be used for other purposes. Paper is recycled and local authorities must see to it that the campaign trash collected goes to recycling centers or at least to junk dealers.

Working with local government units, the Comelec can set a deadline for cleaning up the mess. Any candidate whose campaign materials are still displayed after the deadline must face penalties. Urban centers in particular are ugly enough without pollution from campaign materials.

Winning candidates, for their part, must set the example in cleaning up surroundings by refraining from displaying materials in public areas thanking their constituents. Those who have been reelected must also ban the display of materials congratulating them for their win. There will be victory parties, for sure, but once these are over, any trash must be cleaned up.

The cleaning up must be thorough, with no traces of paper left on walls or lampposts, and with nails, pegs and wood mountings taken out and disposed of properly. Those who undertake the cleanup are on the public payroll. Taxpayers are burdened enough; they must not be compelled to shoulder the cost of cleaning up candidates’ garbage.