Last Saturday, a helicopter conducted a flyover presumably over all towns of Catanduanes, as the Commission on Elections sought to reassure the electorate that it is in full control of the situation.
The flight was conducted days after an alleged election incident occurred in Virac, which many observers believed was instigated by the ward leader’s own boss not only to punish an indiscretion but also shift the blame on his opponent.
Many commenters on social media said the authorities should have shown their resolve against violations of election laws on the ground and not in the air where they can’t spot envelopes or cash changing hands.
This is not the only miscue that the Commission made in the days before Monday’s political exercise.
On May 9, the COMELEC issued an advisory to all candidates and the general public reminding that the campaign ends on midnight of May 10 and any form of election campaigning or partisan political activity for or against any candidate is strict prohibited beyond said date and time.
It directed that all campaign materials, including posters, streamers, billboards, tarpaulins, and similar propaganda in all locations, public or private be removed no later than 12:00 midnight of May 11, 2025.
The full and immediate cleanup of all campaign materials must be done to ensure compliance with election laws, including the Fair Elections Act and applicable COMELEC Resolutions, warning that non-compliance would be treated as a violation of election rules and may constitute a ground for administrative disqualification and/or prosecution for election offenses.
Realizing the futility of removing all campaign materials scattered all over the archipelago within a day, the Commission issued an amended advisory a day later, requiring the removal of all election propaganda materials within five days after the elections.
Now, election losers, who may have spent all they have in their failed bid, may no longer have the resources or the drive to do this.
Compliance by the winning bets would be spotty at best, since they, too, are likely to have no appetite to spend some more for the task.
Perhaps, the Commission should consider a few suggestions on reducing the pollution that is left by election campaigns.
First, it would do well to ban all election propaganda materials that are not biodegradable, such as tarpaulin posters and the like
The Commission has already started on the right foot, passing Resolution No. 11111 approving the creation of the Committee on Environmentally Sustainable Elections, tasked with studying and proposing measures to minimize the environmental impact of election-related activities, such as campaign rallies sorties, and the production, use, and eventual disposal of campaign materials.
It should take the next step, by mandating the use of environment-friendly materials such as cloth and paper as propaganda materials.
In Catanduanes, only a few, including PBM Fred Benedict Gianan, utilized cloth as poster material. Not one used printed paper as campaign poster.
Second, it should work with lawmakers to somehow legislate a measure that would allow barangay councils to charge candidates an “environmental fee” for the installation of posters and other campaign materials, with the fee to cover the cost of removing the trash by barangay solid waste management personnel after the elections.
This way, the COMELEC would not only ensure the health and safety of the populace from the danger posed by microplastics from the non-biodegradable waste left by candidates but provide livelihood and additional revenue to the barangays.
To give impetus and weight to this measure, it could ask Filipino scientists to conduct a study on whether microplastics in the ordinary voter’s brain is significantly contributing to the current trend of Filipinos electing more nincompoops, entertainers and do-nothing personalities to Congress.