Miriam to grill Cabinet execs on ‘infomercials’

Eleven Cabinet officials and a local government chief would be summoned to the Senate on Friday to explain their infomercials which a senator claimed could be considered as premature campaigning. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, chairman of the economic affairs committee, said she would ask the government officials to explain the legal basis for the use of public funds for advertising themselves in the infomercials. The finance officer and the resident Commission on Audit (COA) auditor of the concerned departments would also be asked to shed light on the sources of funding of the infomercials, Santiago said. “By using public funds, these government officials have the financial mechanism to campaign ahead of others," she added. Those invited to attend the hearing are: * Vice-President Noli de Castro * Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno * Health Secretary Francisco Duque III * Finance Secretary Margarito Teves * Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro * Public Works and Highway Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane * Education Secretary Jesli Lapus * Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman * Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chair Ephraim Genuino * Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Chair (Tesda) Augusto Syjuco * Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando * Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay According to Santiago, the infomercials are being used for premature campaigning which he said is in violation of the Constitution and election laws. "Unless a person is blind, deaf, or dumb, it is crystal clear that the alleged infomercials of Cabinet members are intended to camouflage the violation of the campaign ban," she said, noting that Cabinet members engage only in such infomercials in the year prior to election year. The senator warned that if the 12 officials fail to appear on Friday, she would issue a subpoena to compel them to show up at the Senate. Santiago had earlier filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking an injunction against several of her colleagues who she said were engaged in premature campaigning by endorsing certain commercial products. - GMANews.TV