Robredo supporters ask SC to stop Comelec poster removal

Supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo have asked the Supreme Court to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from removing oversized campaign posters from private properties.

The petitioners argue that Comelec's operation, based on Resolution 10730, violates the constitutional right to free expression.

They specifically challenge sections of the resolution that allow the poll body to dismantle election materials not located in common poster areas.

The group contends that the resolution only applies to candidates and political parties, not to private individuals.

They cited a previous Supreme Court ruling, Diocese of Bacolod v. Comelec, which stated that Comelec has no legal basis to regulate expressions made by private citizens.

The petitioners also argue that volunteers, who are not candidates or affiliated with political parties, should not have their expressions regulated as election propaganda.