Coalition to ‘Epal’ pols: Let graduates, parents be the stars of March

THE Ecowaste Coalition, a group campaigning for garbage-free elections, has called on candidates not to take advantage of the graduation ceremonies this month just to score political points.

Based on Department of Education Order no. 7-2016 issued by Education Secretary Armin Luistro, all graduation rites should be conducted on or before April 1 and should “not be used as a political forum.”

“Let the graduates and their parents be the stars of March, the graduation month. ‘Epal’ politicians should, out of delicadeza, stay away from graduation sites,” said Aileen Lucero, coordinator of Ecowaste Coalition.

“Political hopefuls should not to steal the thunder from the graduates by hanging tarpaulin posters with their names and faces near schools,” she said. “These ‘happy graduation’ tarps on cables, posts and trees are not only annoying and worthless. They also add to the tons of illegally placed campaign materials that ‘Operation Baklas’ workers are tasked to dismantle.”

The group cited government data indicating that some eight tons of illegal campaign paraphernalia were been removed in Metro Manila alone since the “Operation Baklas” kicked off last Feb. 9.

“The volume of seized propaganda materials is expected to soar as the start of the official campaign period for local candidates on March 26 nears,” Lucero said.

To encourage national and local candidates and their supporters to follow campaign rules, the group urged the public to take photos of illegal campaign materials and to report campaign infractions to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) via #SumbongKo.

“Let us support the Comelec’s online shame campaign and push all aspiring public servants from all sides of the political spectrum to conform to the rules and care for the environment,” Lucero said.

Throughout the month of March, Ecowaste Coalition said it would monitor surrounding areas of public and private schools for “happy graduation” tarps from “epal” politicians.