Comelec: Celebrity endorsers should go on leave

(Updated 3:54 p.m.) Celebrities endorsing or campaigning for candidates running in the May 10 elections should immediately take a leave of absence from their showbiz work or face sanctions, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday. In an interview with GMANews.TV, Ferdinand Rafanan of the Comelec Law Department said Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act clearly prohibits actors from making anymore appearances once they endorse or volunteer for a candidate during the campaign period. "Oo, dahil nasa Fair Elections Act 'yun (Yes, that is stated in the Fair Elections Act)," he said. The campaign period for national candidates began on February 9 and will end on May 8. Campaign period for local candidates will start on March 26. Section 6.6 of the law reads: "Any mass media columnist, commentator, announcer, reporter, on-air correspondent or personality who is a candidate for any elective public office or is a campaign volunteer for or employed or retained in any capacity by any candidate or political party shall be deemed resigned, if so required by [his] employer, or shall take a leave of absence from his/her work as such during the campaign period." The section prohibits a media practitioner who is an official of a political party or a member of the campaign staff of a candidate or political party from using his time or space to favor any candidate or political party. "Ang media personality, columnist, on air correspondent, commentator… kung naging candidate na, magreisgn o magleave sa kanyang pagiging media personality o pagtatrabaho. Kung siya ay campaigner o part ng campaign staff o campaign volunteer, ganun din, mag-resign din siya o mag-leave," Rafanan said. (If you are a personality, a columnist, an on air correspondent, a commentator, but you became a candidate, you should resign or take a leave from your media work. If you are a campaigner, part of the campaign staff, or a volunteer, then you should also resign or take a leave of absence.) Take a leave or resign He noted that even if a personality does not campaign for a candidate on his or her show, he should still resign or take a leave of absence because he or she has already given his or her endorsement. "Ang sinasabi lang ay basta siya ay campaigner, campaign staff o volunteer, magleave na siya (The law says that as long as you are a campaigner, campaign staff or a volunteer, you should take a leave of absence)," he said. Rafanan ikewise clarified that an endorser is considered a campaigner because in endorsing a candidate, you are in effect campaigning. "What you cannot do directly, you cannot do indirectly," he said, adding that celebrities cannot use their job as a defense from following the provision. "Hindi yan sapat… matatawag ka pa ring media personality na siyang pinagreresign o pinagbabakasyon ng batas kapag ikaw ay naging campaigner, campaign volunteer," he said. (That’s not enough, you are still required by the law, as a media personality, to resign or take a leave of absence once you become a campaigner or campaign volunteer.) As for media personnel, he said that freedom of expression can still be exercised in full even without being an employee or an official of the trimedia. (Read: Order restricting celebrities from campaigning draws mixed reactions)
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Election offense Rafanan said violation of the provision, which seeks to give candidates equal access to media time and space, is punishable by law. "Election offense 'yan (That is an election offense)," he said. An election offense is punishable by one to six years imprisonment, disenfranchisement, and disqualification from holding public office. But the Comelec official said the poll body had not discussed whether it would hold the celebrities responsible for violating the law without a third-party complaint. "Pwedeng kami (pero) mas mapipilitan sila kung may complaint (We can do it but it's better if there is a complaint)," Rafanan said. The Comelec earlier advised the public to report election violations by calling 525-9302; 525-9297; 525-9345; 525-9296; 525-9335; 525-9294; 527-5575; and 527-0821. Sensitive issue However, Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said that the Comelec en banc is still thinking of how they can effectively implement the provision because they know that it is a sensitive issue. "Merong mga adverse comments on that so we are weighing ung mga pros and cons (There are adverse comments on that so we are weighing the pros and cons)," he said. Ferrer said they plan to release guidelines about the matter in the following days. Rafanan was quick to warn celebrity endorsers that they should be aware of what they're doing. "We should not have to tell them. Once they violate the law, that's it," he said in Filipino. According to a dzBB report, among the endorsers of Senator Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III are Vilma Santos, Kris Aquino, Boy Abunda, Sharon Cuneta, Ai-Ai delas Alas, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Anne Curtis, Erik Santos, Bea Alonzo, Gretchen Barretto, Mariel Rodriguez, Sitti, Pooh, Kim Chiu, Kris Bernal amd Aljur Abrenica. Senator Manuel Villar’s endorsers include Dolphy, Sarah Geronimo, Michael V, Willie Revillame, Manny Pacquiao, and Richard Gutierrez. Administration bet Gilbert Teodoro has the Rivermaya band as endorser. Religious leader Eddie Villanueva has Gloc-9, and Gary Valenciano and family. Former President Joseph Estrada has Lorna Tolentino, Aiko Melendez and Eddie Garcia as endorsers.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV ABS-CBN statement In a statement posted on its Website, ABS-CBN television network reiterated that its "policy is consistent with the Fair Elections Act. Our on-cam talents are prohibited from using ABS-CBN programs and platforms during the official campaign period, in whatever form or manner, to favor any political candidate, political party or party list organization." Earlier, the Comelec also issued Resolution 8758, which restricts the campaign propaganda of candidates. It limits national candidates to two hours of broadcast advertising on each local and cable television channel, and three hours on each radio station, whether by purchase or donation, for the whole campaign period. Local candidates, meanwhile, will be allowed only an hour of ads on each television channel and one-and-a-half hours on each radio station. Moreover, the maximum size of a print ad for each local or national candidate must be no bigger than a quarter page for broadsheets and half page for tabloids. — LBG/NPA, GMANews.TV