Comelec poised to question campaign materials in churches

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be asking the Catholic Church in connection with posting of election campaign propaganda in churches.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said they want to know who authorizes the placement of these campaign materials.

"We really don't know the rules of the Church so maybe we can clarify that. If the church will allow the churches to be used as propaganda area then, who gives the permission? Is it the parish priest? Pope or Bishop?" he said.

Earlier, the poll body ordered the removal of the tarpaulin, "Team Patay and Team Buhay" hanging outside the Diocese of Bacolod for being over the size of the allowable measure for posters and tarpaulins.

The tarpaulin shows both the anti and pro-Reproductive Health (RH) senatorial candidates, is measured six feet by 10 feet while the law only allows two feet by three feet.

In the tarpaulin, the Diocese of Bacolod identified senatorial candidates Juan Edgardo Angara, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, Teddy Casiño, Jack Enrile as well as partylist groups Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Akbayan and Anak Pawis as members of Team Patay.

On Team Buhay are Joseph Victor Ejercito-Estrada, Antonio Trillanes, Gregorio Honasan, Mitos Magsaysay, Koko Pimentel and Cynthia Villar.

Brillantes noted the size of the tarpaulin should be two feet by three feet, even if the tarpaulin is placed in a private property.

"What we are debating on now is if the church is a private (property), but even if it's private it has to comply with the size," he said.

However, the poll body chief said that they are still studying to whom or where they will address their query.

"We still have to study who we are going to write for us to know the rule," Brillantes said. (PNA)