Group Urges Aspirants not to be a “Garpol,” Cut Back on Campaign Garbage
29 September 2024, Quezon City. The waste and pollution watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition appealed to all aspiring individuals and party-list groups for the 2025 national and local elections to keep public health and the environment at the center of their campaign to win, and to serve.
EcoWaste Coalition says no to a dirty and wasteful election campaign.
The group renewed its call for environmental stewardship and sustainability in the electoral campaign as over 500,000 aspirants from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi are expected to file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) from October 1 to 8 for more than 18,000 national and local elective posts.
“We appeal to all participating individuals, political parties and party-list groups and their supporters to show they truly care for Mother Earth and her people by giving environmental protection due importance in thoughts, words and deeds,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“We ask them to incorporate pressing environmental issues and concerns into their platforms and plans, conserve resources and avoid wastage as they reach out and woo the electorate,” she added. “Please green your campaign.”
The group, an advocate for a zero waste and toxics-free society, dared candidates not to be a “garpol,” a blended word for “garbage” and “politician,” and to be true servant leaders for the people and Mother Earth.
According to the EcoWaste Coalition, a “garpol is a politician who pays lip service to environmental protection, squanders resources and generates trash and pollution as long as he or she wins and wields power.
During the filing of COCs, the group urged candidates to simply file their certificates without fanfare and with no pollution and traffic-causing motorcade and parade. “Observe the rules set by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), and please keep the COC filing simple and all filing venues litter-free.”
During the designated campaign period, candidates should use resources judiciously, reduce plastic use, avoid materials with hazardous chemicals, and shun environmentally harmful practices such as nailing posters on trees, and leaving meeting sites dirty for government personnel to clean up, the group said. “Amid the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, please say no to dirty and wasteful campaigning.”
After the polls on May 12, 2025, candidates should lead the ecological clean-up of the campaign mess without being told, the group emphasized. “Win or lose, please take down all campaign materials for safe recycling or disposal.”
Up for grabs in 2025 polls are national and local elective posts, including 12 for senators, 254 district representatives, 63 party-list groups, 82 governors, 82 vice governors, `800 provincial council members, 149 city mayors, 149 city vice mayors, 1,682 city council members, 1,493 municipal mayors, 1,493 municipal vice mayors, 11,948 municipal council members, and 25 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament members and 40 BARMM party-list representatives..
As per the COMELEC advisories issued on September 26, senatorial and party-list candidates should file their COCs at the Law Department Offsite Office at the Tent City of Manila Hotel. Members of the House of Representatives for legislative districts in the National Capital Region (NCR) should file their COCs at the Office of the Regional Election Director (ORED)-NCR Office. COCs of candidates in legislative districts in the provinces should be filed at the concerned Office of the Provincial Election Supervisor (OPES) or at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) designated by the Regional Election Director.
Those vying for the positions of governor, vice governor and members of the provincial council should file their COCs at the OPES. Candidates for city and municipal mayors and vice mayors and members of the city and municipal councils should file their COCs at the OEO.
The COC filing will continue from November 4 to 9 for certain BARMM district representatives, particularly for the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Tawi-Tawi as announced by COMELEC.
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