Manila, March 28 -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it would donate for recycling all illegal campaign materials removed during its "Oplas Baklas" operations.

The poll body began removing illegal campaign materials on Friday, the start of the 45-day campaign period for local positions in the May 12 midterm elections.

"Everything that we removed today, we will donate it to the Ecowaste Coalition and the BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) because they have plans for our imprisoned brothers, they have plans on these materials, which can be recycled or used," Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in an interview at the kick-off of the operations in Tondo, Manila.

He added that they are looking to remove tons of...