A Public Cemetery Desecrated by Campaign Posters

When I first saw signs designating a public cemetery a "Comelec Common Poster Area" I thought it was a joke. Even Comelec spokesman James Jimenez thought it was a terribly unfunny photoshop on my part.

https://twitter.com/Philippinefails/status/1096531046516977664

Sadly these signs are not a joke. Even sadder is that the various campaigns have taken these signs seriously and hung up their posters all over the Granada Public Cemetery.

Here is video footage to verify this is not a photoshop.

Two more "Comelec Common Poster Area" signs are also hanging in front of the barangay hall.

That anyone involved in campaigning has taken these signs seriously just goes to show they do not even know the Comelec's rules about where posters may not be hung.

Section 7. Prohibited Forms of Election Propaganda. - During the campaign period it is unlawful: 

f. To post, display or exhibit any election campaign or propaganda material outside of authorised common poster areas, in public places, or in private properties without the consent of the owner thereof. 

Public places include any of the following: 

5. Schools, public shrines, barangay halls, government offices, health centres, public structures and buildings of any edifice thereof. 

The printing press, printer, or publisher who prints reproduces or publishes said campaign material, and the broadcaster , station manager, owner of the radio or televisions station, or owner or administrator of any website who airs or shows the political advertisements without the required data or in violation of these rules shall be criminally liable with the candidate and, if applicable, further suffer the penalties of suspension or revocation of franchise or permit in accordance with the law. 

Nothing in these rules shall be construed as limiting the author of the appropriate agencies and instrumentalities of the government to promulgate their own rules and regulations, regarding the posting of political print advertising on any regulated land, sea and air vehicle, including but not limited to public utility vehicles and tricycles.

http://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2019NLE/Resolutions/com_res_10488.pdf

Campaign posters cannot be displayed or exhibited at barangay halls or public shrines and yet someone has hung huge signs in front of the barangay hall and the public cemetery designating these places as "Comelec Common Poster Areas." Admittedly the Comelec rules do not explicitly prohibit the hanging of campaign materials in a public cemetery. But surely that would fall under public shrines? Every November 1st the whole nation pours into the cemeteries to honour the dead. What kind of person would dare desecrate a cemetery in such a way? Does everything need to be explicitly spelled out?

In our brief Twitter exchange Comelec spokesman James Jimenez asked for the location of these banners and assured me he would send someone to check on this situation. That tweet is not available anymore. He must have deleted it. Nevertheless I was under the impression he would send someone to see just what is happening in Brgy. Granada. That was February 16th.

I have no idea if he has sent anyone nor do I have any idea if he knows who put up these "Comelec Common Poster Area" signs in areas prohibited by Comelec rules but I know who did and now I will tell you.

This guy did it:

https://www.facebook.com/Brgy.GranadaOfficialPage/photos/a.1483713411755790/1494733687320429/?type=3&theater

Alfredo Talimodao, Jr the Punong Barangay.  He is the individual who placed the Comelec signs at both the cemetery and in front of the barangay hall. He did it so people would hang up their posters in one spot and not all over the place. Of course posters are still being hung all over the place.  Take a look at this mess right in front of the cemetery:

It looks like someone's wash hanging out to dry! Is this even necessary? Does this display endear you to and make you want to vote for those candidates? Of course not. But there it is. 

Unbelievably Alfredo Talimodao is apparently unaware that the Comelec forbids campaign materials to be posted at barangay halls and public shrines. He actually denied that this is the case.

Now you are probably wondering how I know for a 100% sure fact that the Barangay Captain is the culprit. Well I can't tell you that. I'm sorry. I know how politics works here and I don't want to be visited unexpectedly by unwanted guests. All I can tell you is that I know this to be true with the utmost certainty. One thing I don't know is why he chose the cemetery to be a poster area. The barangay hall I understand but the cemetery? It's a scared place of rest for the dead and now this tomb of a husband and wife is covered in pictures of Duterte, Bong Go, Bato, and Tolentino.

Rest in peace Ernesto Carillo Moises, Sr. and Adoracion T. Moises.

What would the families and friends of this couple think if they knew this tomb was being desecrated all at the instigation of the Punong Barangay?