Some 20,000 billboards and advertisements were removed by the Quezon City government on the first day of intensified clearing operations on Monday.

Among the materials taken down from electric posts and wires, streetlights, and trees or displayed prominently in transport terminals were streamers, product posters, signboards, printed notices, decals, and stickers.

There were also political propaganda and campaign materials in non-common poster areas that go against Commission on Elections (COMELEC) guidelines.

QC Law and Order Cluster officer, Elmo San Diego, said the operation covered mostly those along major thoroughfares.

“Kahit sino pa ang nasa poster, basta nakadikit sa public property at non-common poster area ng Comelec, aalisin namin dahil ‘yun ang nasa batas (It doesn’t matter who is on the poster as long as it is placed in a public property and non-common poster area as defined by the Comelec, we will remove them),” San Diego said in a statement.

QC ordinances state that advertising materials are not allowed in just every public area.

Clearing operations will also be conducted on sidewalks. (PNA)