Political jingles reign, no loud noise, please

The local campaign period for 45 days kicked off on March 29. In Laoag City and environs, the campaign noise was sporadic during the early stage. We expect it to gain momentum in the days ahead after the candidates’ proclamation rallies were held here and there.

At the height of the campaigning until the homestretch, it may be the time to condition ourselves for the worst noise pollution. The local candidates may bombard us, whether we like it or not, with their paid political jingles and voice clips repeatedly aired over the different local radio stations.

There will be less of their noise in local television coz paid political advertisement in the boob tube is too expensive, hence, we expect only a few local poll commercials that interrupt our favorite TV program viewing.

The noise disturbances anybody may not be able to avoid are the tape-recorded jingles and slogans being played again and again by mobile motor vehicles that go around the neighborhood. What’s too irritating to the ear is the loud volume of their sound system.

Worst if the campaign crew will stick longer in one corner of the road with their glaring sound system which is stressful to homeowners caring infant babies, sick family members, and the elderly.

C’mon guys, please give little respect to the majority of the populace that doesn’t want to develop later a ringing eardrum may be caused by excessive noise disturbances.


Here’s the repercussion on the part of the candidates. Instead of gaining the voters’ nod, it’s the other way around. The best thing these candidates should do is to educate their campaign crew to observe the simple anti-noise rules in their vote-fishing expedition.

True to others’ experience. In past elections in many places, some local candidates through their campaigners virtually glued their sound system from one corner to another almost every day, even during unholy hours, probably designed for name recall purposes or may air their platform of government like a broken record.

You may agree or disagree, but we surmise that if a candidate creates excessive noise disturbance irritant to sensitive people, it boomerang to him or her bitterly.


Time and again, the Comelec and DENR have called on all candidates to strictly follow the guidelines on posting propaganda materials. The call seemed nothing but useless to the hard-headed.

Violations kept rising and counting doesn’t stop despite continued seizures of illegal posters, billboards, and tarpaulins. The law-abiding ones were compliant while the violators were truly incorrigible.

To evade possible charges of poll offense, some candidates would invoke no knowledge of it as an alibi, blaming maybe their campaign crew as ignorant to the Comelec rules and regulations.

The Comelec people were not born yesterday to bite that line of defense, hook, line, and sinker. On the other hand, to disprove critics’ allegation that the Comelec is toothless on handling legal matters, it must indict and help prosecute the election offenders until there’s a conviction by the proper court. #