Senate bet Jacel Kiram claims posters being taken down in Davao City

Senatorial candidate Princess Jacel Kiram on Sunday cried foul over the removal of her campaign posters in Davao City allegedly to pressure her into supporting the presidential candidacy of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

In a press statement, Kiram, a resident of Davao City, said some people have approached her and even advised her to print campaign posters with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte if she wanted her campaign materials to remain posted.

“Kasi ang sabi dapat daw magpagawa ako ng tarp na dalawa kami ni Duterte, pero I cannot do that because I have my president,” she said.

Kiram is running under the banner of United Nationalist Alliance and is supporting its standard bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay.

She is pushing for the Philippines to intensify its claim over Sabah and for decentralization, greater Muslim participation in government, and the advancement of women rights and welfare.

Kiram said this is not the first time that her campaign materials were removed in Davao as her supporters personally saw “people who looked like employees of the Davao City Traffic Management Center” taking down and confiscating her campaign materials even those posted in private residences.

“Nakatira ako sa Davao pero hindi ko nga naiintindihan kung bakit pinapatanggal nila ang tarpaulin ng isang tumatakbong senador na residente ng Davao… iyon nga lang, si Binay ang presidente ko," Kiram said.

Wrong areas?

Sought for comment, Duterte's spokesman Peter Laviña said Kiram's posters could have been posted outside the mandated poster areas.

"Could be that her posters were placed in wrong places. The task force headed by Comelec has started tearing down posters placed illegally last Thursday," Laviña said.

"Even Duterte posters are also being taken down. But we didn't raise an issue because these are part of the electoral game. There are rules and rules must be followed. We cannot make excuses and blame others," he added.

Call for sobriety

Despite the alleged intimidation, Kiram urged her supporters to observe propriety and sobriety at all times.

“I hold my rivals in high regard and I do not want to believe that anyone has ordered the removal of my posters. However, it is very disappointing to see such acts of sabotage,” she said. —NB, GMA News