MANILA - Tarpaulins of a party-list group and an ally of Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto were seen inside the city hall on Monday, hours after the mayor announced that campaign paraphernalia are not allowed in public spaces.

"Welcome po sila lahat sa Pasig... huwag lang po sila magkakabit ng mga tarp nila at paraphernalia sa mga public spaces natin," Sotto said during the February 28 flag ceremony.

(All candidates are welcome in Pasig... as long as they will not post tarpaulins and campaign paraphernalia in public spaces.)

• ‘Kahit tarp ko pa 'yan’: Vico Sotto orders removal of campaign materials in city-owned spaces

Despite this warning from the mayor, tarpaulins of the Bisaya Gyud (BG) Party-list and Pasig city council candidate Simon Romulo Tantoco were put up on the 7th floor of the city hall, where Pasigueños can sign up for free insurance policies, a program organized by the two candidates.

In a photo sent to ABS-CBN News, tarpaulins of BisayaGyud Party-list and Pasig city council candidate Simon Romulo Tantoco were displayed on the city hall’s 7th floor, where free insurance is being offered to Pasigueños. pic.twitter.com/yl6PtAG4mF

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) February 28, 2022

Tantoco's caricatured face and the party-list's name and number on the official ballot were also emblazoned on a blown-up mock insurance card that was displayed near tables where the public can avail their free insurance.

ABS-CBN News reached out to BisayaGyud, Tantoco, and incumbent councilor Corie Raymundo - whose staff helped facilitate the registration for the free insurance policies - to comment on the issue that may be considered as campaign violations.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, a candidate is may be considered as vote buying if he or she engages in any of the following acts:

• gives, offers or promises money or anything of value
• gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private
• makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate

The Commission on Elections has also set a two feet by 3 feet measurement standard on campaign posters, noting that these should only be posted in designated campaign areas or in private properties.

In December 2021, Pasig City issued its own memorandum prohibiting the "display or posting of posters, tarpaulins, ribbons, and other related materials for political campaign... unless expressly allowed by the city government."

BisayaGyud, Raymundo, and Tantoco have yet to respond to requests for comment.

TARPS REMOVED

Pasig City Administrator Jeron Manzanero said the tarpaulins have been removed.

"When you raised that to us, I ordered the removal of those immediately," he told ABS-CBN News Digital.

"Ang 7th floor kasi is the area for the councilors so we have very limited jurisdiction for that lalo na sa mga different offices nila so hindi talaga sila nasa radar namin," he said.

(The 7th floor is the areas for councilors so we have very limited jurisdiction for that especially when it comes to their offices so they are not really under our radar.)

Manzanero said the local government officials cannot monitor all offenses despite a memorandum and frequent verbal reminders against posting paraphernalia in public spaces.

"Kailangan talaga yung partnership ninyo with the media kasi kayo yung laging makakakita nung mga ganiyan [violations]," the city administrator said.

(We really need our partnership with the media because it is always the media who spots these violations.)

"Talagang nalalaman lang namin yan kapag nire-raise sa amin yung mga concerns, and that's what we did," he said.

(We really learn about it only when someone raises these concerns, and that's what we did.)

Manzanero said while it is difficult to determine who posted the tarpaulins inside the city hall, parties involved in the gaffe will be given a warning.

"It's a good time to remind officially on paper the employees to police themselves," he said.

"Kapag mga (If it's a) first offense, we just issue a warning pero (but) next time, it will be dealt with more seriously."

While the city's executive branch does not have direct control over candidates and members of the city council, campaign officials of "Giting ng Pasig" - Sotto's 2022 slate - will "reprimand" those have been involved in the gaffe and other future lapses, said Johnson Villaruel, Sotto's political affairs officer.

"We will call their attention about what happened earlier, then kakausapin din namin talaga to reprimand them para hindi rin maulit ng ibang candidates," he told ABS-CBN News in a separate interview.

(We will call their attention about what happened earlier, then we will talk to them to reprimand them so that other candidates will not commit the same deeds.)

"Constantly we remind our candidates na ito yung puwedeng gawin, ito yung mga bawal," he said.

(Constantly we remind our candidates that this is what they can and cannot do.)

FREE INSURANCE PROGRAM

As for the push to hand out free insurance policies, Manzanero said the city government has been approving all requests to hold campaign events in the city.

"'Yung (The) legality of that is not within our jurisdiction to determine," he said.

"We have control on our venue. Kung gusto gamitin so long na hindi ninyo sisirain yan or maayos yung programa ninyo... Basta sa amin, election-related activities, go ahead kasi we want all candidates to have equal footing."

(We have control on our venue. If they want to use it so long as they will not destroy the property or as long as their program is orderly... For us, we give a go ahead signal for all election-related activities because we want all candidates to have equal footing.)

BisayaGyud's free insurance program for market vendors in Pasig was launched in February 7, a day before the official campaign period for national posts.

Sotto attended the event along with Raymundo and Tantoco.

In a February 15 interview for an ABS-CBN News Digital feature, the mayor described BisayaGyud's free insurance push as a "good program."

When asked if he should be concerned about perceptions that the program may be a form of vote buying, Sotto said: "Hindi ko project 'yun. If their lawyers and staff tell them that it's okay, ang hirap namang tanggihan yung ibibigay sa market vendors natin na insurance program."

(It's not my project. If their lawyers and staff tell them that it's okay, it's hard to refuse the insurance program they are willing to give our market vendors.)

"Hindi ko naman puwede sabihin na bawal kayo magbigay ng insurance sa market vendors natin, parang ang sama naman," he said.

(It would seem cruel if I tell them not to give insurance to our market vendors.)

"Actually, hindi pa yata campaign period nun," he added.

(Actually, it wasn't the campaign period yet back then.)

• Vico Sotto says those who spend much on campaign likely to become corrupt

Sotto, who has received international recognition for his anti-corruption efforts, is known for espousing his "principled politics" when he first rose to power in 2019.

In his previous State of the City Addresses, the 32-year-old mayor repeatedly underscored that no special treatment would be bestowed upon his relatives or friends.

• Vico Sotto named 'anticorruption champion' by US State Department

Political analyst Ramon Casiple earlier said the upcoming 2022 elections will test if Sotto - one of the most followed local government officials in the Philippines - has built sufficient political capital to influence all his allies to follow his example.

"It is too early... We have to wait for that particular set of circumstance when a member of his own party goes against him," Casiple said.

Sotto has to realize that "politics is not simply working with friends and partymates," the analyst said.

"The situation where you have differences with your own people, not with your enemies, would be the test," he said.

"How he (Sotto) would handle that, that I would like to see."

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