Green Groups to Poll Bets: Spare the Trees from Campaign Materials
12 February 2025, Quezon City/Davao City. As the official campaign for midterm elections gained steam, environmental health and justice organizations wasted no time reminding all candidates for national and local posts to respect the trees and spare them from political propaganda materials.
In a joint statement, the Davao City-based Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) and the Quezon City-based EcoWaste Coalition emphasized the all-important role of trees in the environment and society, and thus the need for a concerted action to nurture and protect them.
Among other benefits, trees support wildlife and people; offer humans with food and other essentials to stay alive and well; clean the air; stabilize and control soil erosion; conserve water; prevent and reduce flooding; mitigate the devastating effects of typhoons; provide shade, cool and beautify the surroundings; and absorb greenhouse and other harmful gases amid the global climate emergency, the groups emphasized.
“Nailing, pinning and stapling campaign banners and posters on trees can cause stress and harm to these irreplaceable partners in making our communities healthy, livable and sustainable,” said Atty. Mark Peñalver, Executive Director, IDIS, noting that such disrespectful and unlawful acts can make trees vulnerable to insects and diseases leading to shorter life, decay and ultimately death. “Harm not the trees. Nurture and protect them instead,” he said.
“As the election campaign goes full blast, we ask all candidates and their supporters to abide by ecological and legal practices and save our trees and the environment as a whole from abuse and disrespect,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “Torture not the trees. Please keep them banner- and poster-free.”
As stated in COMELEC Resolution No. 11111, “posting of campaign materials on planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public ground, which shall cause destruction or injury thereto, shall be strictly prohibited.”
The said prohibition is in line with Republic Act No. 3571, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 953, which punishes violators with imprisonment for not less than six months but not more than two years, or a fine of not less than P500 but not more than P5,000, or both, as the court deems fit. “If the offender is a public officer or employee, he shall, in addition, be dismissed from the public service and disqualified perpetually to hold public office,” the law said.
As per COMELEC Resolution No. 11086, “in cases where parties and candidates still persist in displaying, posting, or exhibiting their campaign or election propaganda on trees and plants, they shall be prosecuted for violation of these Rules, without prejudice to the institution of a criminal complaint for the violation of Republic Act No. 3571.”
For an environmentally-responsible campaigning, IDIS and the EcoWaste Coalition likewise urged candidates to adhere to the “Guidelines on the Use of Environmentally Sustainable Election Propaganda” as explained in Resolution No. 11111.
“We urge all candidates and their supporters to heed the COMELEC guidelines to make the midterm elections environmentally caring as much as possible. By choosing recyclable and reusable non-toxic campaign materials, reducing the consumption of single-use plastics, and ecologically managing the campaign discards, we can collectively reduce pollution and ensure a cleaner, healthier environment for all,” the EcoWaste Coalition and IDIS said.
Last Monday, February 10, the EcoWaste Coalition assembled outside the COMELEC's headquarters in Manila for the "Kalikasan: Pangalagaan sa Halalan" event, which was followed by an impromptu press conference with Chairman George Erwin Garcia at his office, reiterating the importance of embracing eco-friendly and sustainable campaign practices, including the use of reusable and recyclable materials to cut down on waste volume and toxicity, and protect public health and the environment.
References:
https://thecorpusjuris.com/
https://lawphil.net/statutes/
https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=
https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=
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