Prelate to politicos: Stop using children in political ads

Saying the practice is tantamount to child abuse, a Catholic bishop urged candidates running in the May elections to stop using children in their ads. Capiz Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo has said that campaign ads with children are a form of exploitation and have nothing to do with the very nature of childhood. “It’s like child abuse. I’m calling on the candidates to please stop using the children," he said in an article on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site. He particularly pointed out using children in campaigns should not be done by candidates who claim to be pro-poor. The prelate likewise called for a stop to other political advertisements that even use poor people and people with disabilities. “That is against their rights. We should respect the children. Let them grow according to human rights. They should not grow tainted with politics," he said. While he did not name names, ads of some presidential bets have featured children. Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manuel Villar Jr.’s ads had children singing a campaign jingle about poverty, while Senator Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III had an ad featured nephew Baby James Yap. Aquino had also said he would feature Baby James in some of his sorties. Children had also been featured in ads of Senator Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan). As of this weekend, Villar's ads continued to feature children singing his campaign jingle. Aquino's ads have shifted to "issues" while Gordon's ads had become less frequent. — LBG, GMANews.TV