Palace: Arroyo ‘legacy’ ads not meant for campaigns

A day after saying that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was ready to pull out her controversial "legacy" ads, Malacañang insisted Friday that the advertisements were more of a corporate annual report rather than political campaign materials. Deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas said that the production of posters and streamers showing the President’s achievements is cheaper than printing and sending copies of an "annual report" to all Filipino voters. "Yung neighborhood association matapos ang termino ng nangasiwa, nagpapalabas ng annual report. Ganoon din sa lahat na korporasyon. Ang ginagawang ad sa peryodiko, annual report yan, sa halip magpapadala sa bawa’t isa sa 50 milyon botante. Imagine gagastusin sa 50 milyon na annual report at gagastusin sa stamp," Planas said in an interview on dwIZ radio. (Neighborhood associations and corporations have annual reports, and that is also the case of Mrs. Arroyo. The ads are a cheaper way to let people know about her achievements than having to send copies of the achievement report to each voter) Moreover, she said the legacy ads are not targeted at residents of the second district of Pampanga province, where Mrs. Arroyo is running for a congressional seat in May. "Di yan kampanya sa distrito kundi report sa lahat ng mamamayan sa siya ang ina ng bayan. Aalis na siya, paalam siya, sinasabi niya ito ginawa ko ito, ginagawa ko habang nakaupo pa ako (The ads are not intended for the congressional district she wants to represent but to all Filipinos. She is the mother of the nation and she wants Filipinos to know what she did and what she is doing before she steps down on June 30)," she said. On Thursday, Malacañang said Mrs. Arroyo was ready to pull out her legacy advertisements if the Commission on Elections (Comelec) sees the need for it. Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo admitted that Mrs. Arroyo might end up violating campaign guidelines if her government-funded advertisements are not removed. But Saludo said Mrs. Arroyo’s advertisements contracts, which are held by government agencies, will likely be suspended until after the May 10 polls should the Comelec order the ad pull-out. Earlier, Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia Hontivero-Baraquel sought the removal of print and broadcast advertisement of Mrs. Arroyo. She asked the Comelec to ban Mrs. Arroyo’s “Ganito Tayo Noon, Ganito Tayo Ngayon" advertisements and other “collaterals" promoting her activities and achievements. She said these give President Arroyo undue advantage over her three contenders — Adonis Simpao, Rosario Sampang, and Feliciano Serrano. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV