A political content creator poked fun at the practice of placing tarpaulins and billboards on public roads as election season approaches.
Content creator Eli San Fernando posted a large billboard of himself on Thursday, September 26, which some users claim was spotted along the C5-Buting Flyover area.
The billboard features him holding a banana. It was accompanied by the following text:
“INGAT PO SA BIYAHE! Tatakbo kasi ako sa eleksyon. Wala kasing PREMATURE CAMPAIGNING sa Pilipinas!”
Eli also posted his Facebook and TikTok usernames.
“Ingat sa biyahe, mga boss!” he wrote on Facebook.
It has since earned 2,500 likes and reactions and over 200 comments so far.
The post was also shared on r/Philippines subreddit, where an online user claimed the content creator had just woken up and “chose violence.”
It has received 8,000 upvotes and some awards on Reddit.
Eli San Fernando just woke and choose violence
byu/limpinpark inPhilippines
To prove that the billboard was real, Eli posted a video of it on his TikTok account, where he wrote the following caption:
“MAINGAY daw ako MASYADO, ba’t ‘di ko IPA-BILLBOARD? O, di ‘yan, may BILLBOARD na ako! Wala kasing PREMATURE CAMPAIGNING sa’tin!”
“P*t*ng*na kasing mga politiko ‘to! Lahat tayo pinagiingat sa biyahe! Eh, may billboard niyo! Wala, talagang mag-iingat kami sa biyahe! Ba’t ‘di niyo pa kasi diretsuhin? Inuulol niyo pa kami, kunwari may pakialam kayo sa manggagawang, ordinaryong Pilipino!” Eli said in his video.
“Eh tapos, ‘yung mga mukha niyo, mas malaki pa sa mga paalala! Kanyo, tatakbo kasi kayo sa eleksyon kaya bina-balandra niyo ‘yung mga mukha niyo, kahit saan!” he added.
The content creator then gestured to his billboard behind him and said that it was “honest.”
“Tutal naman, nagpe-premature campaigning kayo, ba’t ‘di niyo pa isagad ‘yang kakupalan niyo! Sana, linagay niyo na lang, ingat po sa biyahe, iboto niyo ako. Ganoon dapat!” Eli exclaimed.
He then said that such initiatives would appear on big occasions like graduation, fiestas and holidays.
“Ngayon, pati pagba-biyahe natin, pinapakialaman na! ‘Yan ang problema sa electoral system sa bansa natin!” Eli added.
@sanfernandoeli MAINGAY daw ako MASYADO bat di ko IPABILBOARD? O di yan may BILLBOARD na ako! Wala kasing PREMATURE CAMPAIGNING satin! #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #senate #congress #elections ♬ original sound – eli
Similar posters like tarpaulins have been spotted by other Filipinos this month.
Earlier this month, veteran journalist Lynda Jumilla-Abalos spotted a welcome tarpaulin for actor Phillip Salvador in a tree surrounded by overgrown grass and weeds.
She wondered where exactly the personality went as the tarpaulin was placed in an odd area.
“Good morning sa mga excited na sa kampanya!” the journalist said before.
RELATED: Spotted: Welcome tarpaulins of personalities along ‘talahiban’ in Cavite
The actor previously announced his intention to run for senator in the 2025 midterm elections.
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia said that premature campaigning rules will apply to politicians once they file their Certificate of Candidacy (COC) from Oct. 1 to 8, 2024.
Meanwhile, the campaign period for national candidates is set from Feb. 11 to May 10, 2025. On the other hand, local candidates can only campaign from March 28 to May 10, 2025.
The Omnibus Election Code states that a candidate is not allowed to campaign outside of the campaigning period.
Based on a 2009 ruling, an individual who filed his/her COC is only considered a candidate once the official campaign period starts.
The gap before the campaign period has provided an opportunity for aspirants to promote themselves and make their bids known through tarpaulins and billboards.
ALSO READ: Candidates already taking advantage of ‘premature campaigning’ loophole
The 2025 midterm elections would take place on May 12, 2025.