Oversized campaign ads masquerading as free expression

A day before the official campaign period for local elective posts began, I thought I would be seeing the last of those private billboards along our main thoroughfares featuring the names and faces of local candidates. I was wrong.

- Ally Ian Vincent Manticao [e-mail]

Thus, I looked more closely into the laws governing campaign advertisements. Apparently, the relevant Comelec resolutions implementing the Fair Elections Act, along with the loose interpretation of a Supreme Court decision, are what make a mockery of our electoral system possible.

Our election laws that regulate the size and placement of campaign materials, including posters and billboards, are grounded on a key principle: to level the playing field, or at least give some semblance of equal opportunity among candidates. Without limits, candidates or parties with the most resources can flood public spaces with campaign materials, drowning out lesser-known candidates or those with considerably fewer resources.

But this principle is defeated by what I deem a misappreciation of the law’s purpose. Stakeholders invoke the Supreme Court’s decision in Diocese of Bacolod v. Comelec (2015) to underscore the inutility of our regulators when measured against the country’s proclaimed commitment to fair elections.