LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

Firing squad for early campaigns thru pol ads
MARCH L. FIANZA

It is very, very obvious! The posters in plain sight and expensive television ads being supported by past, present and future politicians are “premature promotions.” The styles differ although the objectives are all the same, that is, to be popular and be remembered easily by the voting public, at least, until election time in 2010.

The culprit here, according to politicians who can not afford to spend for untimely or extra TV ads and posters is the fact that the election code is silent about premature campaigning. Even private election lawyers and the Comelec admit so. According to them, endorsing commercial products, government projects and other advocacies do not violate any part of the election code.

The latest politician to speak against ‘premature campaigning’ was Senator Jovito Salonga who said the act is “unethical.” He said the acts violate the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials. But that is debatable, said Senator Ping Lacson, who claimed that politician endorsers of commercial products were picked by the owner of the commodity and are paid for doing so.

“What is unethical is when the people’s money is spent to promote one’s self in the guise of promoting a government program,” Lacson said. The former police chief must have been referring to tourism secretary Ace Durano who is talking of something I really can not get.

Or, Lacson may have been referring to MMDA boss Bayani Fernando whose Mao Zedong-like photos are conspicuously plastered on Metro Manila street walls. Certainly, the advocacy becomes second priority when it is accompanied by a well-taken photograph of the endorser. What is the reason behind a face that is more eye-catching than the advocacy or product being endorsed?

In one MMDA-MIAA advertisement about a nationwide design contest for the NAIA terminal 3 landmark rotundas, Fernando’s photo appears. The striking B&W photo has no connection at all to the announcement, except that Fernando heads the MMDA that placed the ad.

Of course, the reading public can safely conclude that people’s money through the MMDA or MIAA was spent for the ad. But please forgive me for not knowing why Fernando’s photo was deliberately inserted there. I sense that maybe he wants to head MIAA or that he is running for barangay chairman in the next election… ahem.

In the case of tourism czar Durano, the ad goes: “kung maraming turismo, maraming trabaho.” For what is the ad for? It seems to have no point at all as he is talking about something that the public already knows. For me, it is an expensive ad of a plain and simple statement that was paid with people’s money.

Listening to the ad over and over again does not convince me that he is promoting tourism. Most of all, it helps promote Durano’s popularity. Because of his appearance, the advocacy became less effective as my attention was diverted to Durano.

It could have been better if an unsuspecting farmer, fisherman, market vendor or jeepney driver did the commercial. Ano say mo? Another TV commercial that was paid for by the government was the one that shows Noli de Castro on low-cost housing program of PAG-IBIG.

The other political personalities in advertising are Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Pia Caetano, Vilma Santos. Most of them appear in private commercial ads except for Villar and Legarda. He talks about the plight of OFWs while she talks about protecting the environment.

Of course, the ads of Villar and Legarda are not endorsing home products. And neither did the two receive money for the advocacy ads. Maybe they spent their own money for the ads or someone donated the payment.

What is more certain is that while the advocacies are good, the manner by which these were done was in bad taste. The main idea for the ads is political promotion, just like the ads of Durano, Fernando and de Castro. All of these ads may not be violating any law but the manner of presenting them makes it bad.

In Baguio and Benguet, politicians also have their way of promoting themselves through ads. Board members Nazarro and Malaya separately own schools that they promote in wall calendars, especially during an election year. We can not blame them for doing so because they have to promote their own schools.

What is unique in their wall calendars is that no school picture appears – only their faces. Also, their calendars are distributed for free, and surprisingly, only within the districts where they are candidates. Maybe they do not want enrollees from other districts… hehehe. In Baguio , then congressman Vergara advertised his name by plastering the letter “V” on the posts of the overpasses built by his countrywide development fund. He said the prominent “V” stood for “vision.” But when he ran for re-election as mayor, he lost to former RTC Judge Raul Yaranon. Maybe the voting public thought that his opponent had far better visions for Baguio than him.

My American friend Conrad Marzan solved the problem by interfering in Philippine politics. He said, to avoid lengthy debates on whether a law was violated or not, what we need is a more explicit election law.

He said the law must say: “Past, present and future politicians, other appointed government officials are disallowed from appearing in any form of commercial advertisement, private and government advocacies in print media or TV and radio programs at anytime.”

“No other campaign material shall appear in public except that prepared and posted by the Comelec.” Conrad’s law further states: “Penalty for violations will be death by firing squad.” I wish I could live longer until that time when the law is made. By then, we will surely have honest, orderly, peaceful and very clean elections. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com